Around 20 European leaders, along with representatives from the USA and Canada, gathered today at a conference in Paris to discuss support for Ukraine. Notable attendees included German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and leaders from Nordic and Baltic countries. Other nations were represented at the ministerial level. The meeting was convened to «affirm their unity and determination to prevail in the aggressive war unleashed by Russia in Ukraine,» according to the French President's Office.
At the conclusion of the meeting, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that allies need to step up their support for Ukraine, a war now in its third year. He did not rule out the possibility of the EU sending ground troops:
«Today there is no consensus on the official sending of ground forces, but nothing can be ruled out,» Macron said. «We will do everything necessary to ensure that Russia does not win this war.»
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, accused of having ties with Russia, confirmed that «there are countries ready to send their troops to Ukraine, there are countries saying 'never,' including Slovakia, and there are countries saying this proposal needs to be considered.» Germany, Poland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and the NATO Secretary-General were among those opposing the idea proposed by Macron.
In response to the French President's statement, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned that a direct conflict between Russia and NATO would become inevitable if alliance forces were deployed in Ukraine.
The primary topic of discussion at the Paris meeting was ammunition supplies to Ukraine. Macron announced the creation of a new coalition to supply Ukraine with long-range missiles and ammunition. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, in turn, reported that about 15 countries had signed onto the Czech plan for the urgent purchase of artillery ammunition for Ukraine from non-EU countries.
