The European leaders meeting at the Elysée agreed on moving towards “a war economy” to help Ukraine face the Russian invasion, announced the French president, Emmanuel Macron, who did not even exclude the sending of troops if necessary to achieve that objective.
“The defeat of Russia is essential for the security and stability of Europe,” said Macron in a press conference after the end of the meeting of more than twenty European heads of state and government.
Macron noted that “there is no consensus today” to send ground troops but warned that nothing can be excluded in the future. He gave as an example that two years ago no one thought about sending fighter jets to Ukraine.
The French president considered that in the face of the increase in Russian aggressiveness, both on Ukrainian soil and against the rest of the European allies, “one cannot wait” to give a response and assumed a “measured ambiguity” about sending troops.
More aid for Ukraine
It was the Slovak Prime Minister, the populist Robert Fico, who put this measure on the table and although it did not receive majority support, it became the great novelty of the meeting, because as Macron summarized, “everything possible must be done so that Russia “Don’t win this war.”
The French president pointed out that in the meeting they agreed on delving into two other measures, one on the delivery of medium and long-range missiles to Ukraine and another related to the common issuance of European Union debt to finance that war effort. similar to the one launched after the covid pandemic.
In the first case, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was reluctant for his country to deliver Taurus missiles, capable of reaching 500 kilometers, to Kiev to avoid an escalation in the conflict, but he did not oppose other countries, such as France. o United Kingdom, continue sending shorter-range Scalp missiles that they already deliver to Ukraine.
Covid-style mutualized debt
In the case of the mutualized debt, proposed by Estonia, Macron highlighted that a country like Germany, not very favorable to these initiatives, would support it and justified it by saying that the Russian aggression against Ukraine affects the security of the entire continent “without exception.” .
Another point where progress must be made is making the sanctions imposed on Russia more efficient. Macron assured that those countries and companies that help Russia bypass export vetoes and that sell military material or technology will be punished.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky complained in a recorded message that was played during the summit that only 30% of the howitzers promised by Europe have been delivered to its troops, something acknowledged by Macron, who promised to look for these weapons in those countries that have them and increase production, all with a clear schedule that can be met to “give visibility to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”
The French president appealed for “a leap forward” in aid to Ukraine without waiting for the United States Congress to unfreeze the aid requested by the Biden administration, nor waiting for the result of the elections in that country next November.
“Currently Europe provides 30% of aid to Ukraine. This is a European war and I believe in a Europe of defense (…) We cannot bequeath the fate of this war, which determines our future, on the American voter. Let’s not wait for that result, let’s act now,” he assured.
BY: TTU
