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Reuters

French President Emmanuel Macron opened the door to European nations sending troops to Ukraine, although he cautioned that there was no consensus at this stage as allies agreed to ramp up efforts to deliver more munitions to Kyiv.
Some 20 European leaders gathered in Paris on Monday to send Russian President Vladimir Putin a message of European resolve on Ukraine and counter the Kremlin’s narrative that Russia is bound to win a war now in its third year.
The French leader said that “we will do everything needed so Russia cannot win the war” after the meeting.
“There’s no consensus today to send in an official, endorsed manner troops on the ground. But in terms of dynamics, nothing can be ruled out,” Macron said in a news conference at the Elysee presidential palace.




Macron declined to provide details about which nations were considering sending troops, saying he prefers to maintain some “strategic ambiguity”.
A White House official said that the United States had no plans to send troops to fight in Ukraine and that there were also no plans to send Nato troops to fight in Ukraine.
Sweden’s PM hails ‘historic day’ after Hungary ratifies Nato bid
Macron invited his European counterparts to the Elysee palace for a hastily arranged meeting to discuss how to ramp up ammunition supplies to Ukraine amid what his advisers say is an escalation in Russian aggression over the past few weeks.
After initial successes in pushing back the Russian army, Ukraine has suffered setbacks on eastern battlefields, with its generals complaining of shortages of arms and soldiers.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who has opposed military aid to Ukraine, said several Nato and EU members were considering sending soldiers to Ukraine on a bilateral basis.
“I can confirm there are countries that are prepared to send their own troops to Ukraine, there are countries that say never, among which Slovakia belongs, and there are countries that say this proposal needs to be considered,” he said before boarding his plane home.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who is the front runner to become the next secretary general of Nato, told reporters the issue of sending troops was not the focus of Monday’s talks.
Addressing the leaders via video link, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky backed Macron’s warning about an escalation of the conflict: “We must ensure that Putin cannot destroy our achievements and cannot expand his aggression to other nations”.

Macron said: “Many people who say ‘Never, never’ today were the same people who said ‘never tanks, never planes, never long-range missiles’ two years ago
“Let us have the humility to note that we have often been six to twelve months late. This was the objective of this evening’s discussion: everything is possible if it is useful to achieve our objective,” he said, adding that Europe should not depend on the United States to fight in Ukraine.
There was progress on a Czech-led initiative to buy hundreds of thousands of ammunition rounds from third countries, something that France has been cautious about as it wants to prioritise developing Europe’s own industry.
Ukraine’s Zelensky says 31,000 soldiers killed in first official toll
Ammunition supplies have become a critical issue for Kyiv. The European Union, though, is falling short of its target of sending Ukraine a million rounds of artillery shells by March.
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said about 15 countries had agreed to sign up to his initiative. Macron said Paris would also do so and that a coalition to speed up delivery of long-range missiles had also been agreed.
“We are talking about hundreds of thousands of pieces of ammunition we should and could get in relatively short time,” Fiala told reporters.


Defence ministers had been mandated to come up with a plan within the next 10 days, Portugal’s Prime Minister Antonio Costa said.
Rutte said the Netherlands would contribute €100 million (US$108.5 million) for the purchase of munitions overseas. He said the countries that would provide the munitions had asked not to be identified.
“I think there was a great sense of urgency, particularly for the short-term on ammunition and on air defence,” Rutte said. “I hope other countries will follow.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, British foreign minister David Cameron as well as leaders from Scandinavian and Baltic nations, were among those also attending.
Russia getting ‘hundreds of missiles’ from Iran as Ukraine war rages on
The United States, which has been under much scrutiny as its latest military aid package for Ukraine has stalled in Congress, was represented by Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Jim O’Brien.
French officials said Macron, who is due in Kyiv in March, was keen to seek solutions after a security conference in Munich this month failed to make progress.
“We’re neither doomy nor gloomy,” the French adviser said. “We want Russia to understand that. Russia will have to count on us all collectively to end this war.”
French officials said Russia has shown renewed aggression in recent weeks, including Putin’s flight on a nuclear-capable bomber, in what they view as an attempt to intimidate Europeans at a time US support is thrown into doubt by the presidential election.
Additional reporting by Associated Press


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Ukraine war

France’s Macron does not rule out Europeans sending ground troops to Ukraine

France’s President Emmanuel Macron. Photo: AFP

The gathering of European leaders in Paris, France. Photo: AFP

European leaders in Kyiv pledge to back Ukraine on 2-year anniversary of war

Ukrainian flags placed at a square in Kyiv in memory of those killed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine started exactly two years ago. Photo: Kyodo

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky greets soldiers at a press conference on the second anniversary of the start of the conflict with Russia. Photo: dpa

(From left to right) Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo during a visit to Ukraine. Photo: dpa

A woman stands at the site of a damaged building after drone debris fell during an overnight attack in the southern city of Odesa. Photo: EPA-EFE

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky is pictured on the second anniversary of the start of the conflict with Russia. In addition to seeking money and weaponry, Volodymyr Zelensky is promoting legislation allowing Ukraine to mobilise up to half a million more troops. Photo: dpa

US, UK back outgoing Dutch PM Mark Rutte to become Nato chief

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has received the backing of the US and the UK in his bid to be the new head of Nato. Photo: Reuters

Europe must strengthen defence capabilities regardless of US elections, Ukraine war: Germany

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (right) and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky shake hands in Berlin on Friday. Photo: AFP via Getty Images/TNS

‘Historic day’: Sweden set to join Nato after Hungary approves bid

Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. Photo: AFP

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban addressing a parliament session in Budapest. Photo: AP

Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson after Hungary’s parliament voted yes to its Nato membership. Photo: AP

A soldier from the Swedish Armed Forces. File photo: AFP

News

World

Europe

French president hosted 20 European leaders in Paris for a show of unity for Ukraine
Macron said that ‘we will do everything needed so Russia cannot win the war’


French President Emmanuel Macron opened the door to European nations sending troops to Ukraine, although he cautioned that there was no consensus at this stage.


France’s Macron does not rule out Europeans sending ground troops to Ukraine

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}French president hosted 20 European leaders in Paris for a show of unity for Ukraine Macron said that ‘we will do everything needed so Russia cannot win the war’

French president hosted 20 European leaders in Paris for a show of unity for Ukraine

Macron said that ‘we will do everything needed so Russia cannot win the war’