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French President Emmanuel Macron invited people to an international support conference for Ukraine.
© Gonzalo Fuentes/RTR/AP/dpa
At an aid conference for Ukraine, over 20 countries decide on more and faster aid for the country attacked by Russia.
There is also talk about the use of ground troops.
Paris - French President Emmanuel Macron does not rule out the use of ground troops in Ukraine by his country.
Nothing can be ruled out to prevent a Russian victory in Ukraine, Macron said after concluding a Ukraine aid conference in Paris.
At the meeting of over 20 heads of state and government, including Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), there was no consensus on the deployment of ground troops, but nothing could be ruled out in the future dynamics, said Macron.
Each country can decide independently and sovereignly about the deployment of ground troops.
“The general conclusion today is that the security of all of us is at stake,” said Macron at the start of the conference, which was organized at short notice.
Russia's stance is hardening both at the political level and on the front in Ukraine, where there is a threat of new Russian attacks.
A Russian defeat is necessary for stability and security in Europe.
That's why Ukraine's supporters need to get a move on.
“We are in the process of ensuring our security today and tomorrow,” Macron said.
“We don’t want to go to war with the Russian people,” the president also said.
Macron wants to travel to Ukraine himself soon
At the meeting it was decided to form a coalition that would provide Ukraine with medium and long-range missiles and bombs for strikes far behind Russian lines, the French president said.
In the short term, additional ammunition should also be mobilized for Ukraine from our own stocks and from third countries.
There is currently no decision to deliver French Mirage fighter jets.
However, we are still checking which French military material could help Ukraine, said Macron, who wants to travel to Ukraine himself by mid-March.
At the conference it was decided to provide more aid to Ukraine more quickly, said Macron.
France also supports considerations of using common debt to finance European defense spending in view of the war in Ukraine.
Similar to the Corona crisis, all European countries are affected by Russia's aggression, which justifies the special route of shared debt.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who joined the conference at short notice with a video message, had called for further help so that Russia does not expand its aggression to other countries.
dpa