French President Macron signals possible security guarantees for Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron has stated that he does not plan to send troops to Ukraine “tomorrow” but suggested that France is considering providing security guarantees to Ukraine after a potential ceasefire agreement with Russia.

Speaking in a live Q&A session with French social media users on February 20, Macron clarified that while no immediate deployment was planned, France was exploring the possibility of sending forces to ensure peace once a settlement was reached, Caliber.Az reports via French media.

“I have not decided to send troops to Ukraine tomorrow, no,” Macron said. “What we are considering instead is sending forces to guarantee peace once it has been negotiated.”

His comments come ahead of a scheduled visit to Washington next week, where he plans to meet with US President Donald Trump. Macron said he would urge Trump not to show weakness when dealing with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I’m going to tell him: ‘You can’t be weak with President Putin. That’s not who you are, it’s not your trademark, it’s not in your interest,’” Macron said.

The White House has confirmed that Trump will meet with Macron on February 24, followed by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on February 20.

Macron’s remarks come as the geopolitical landscape shifts following Trump’s recent statements suggesting a willingness to restart diplomatic talks with Putin to end Russia’s three-year war against Ukraine. His approach, which appears to bypass European leaders and Kyiv, has raised alarm across the continent.

In recent days, French officials have warned that the public must grasp the scale of the threat posed by Russia. Macron reinforced this message earlier in the week, declaring: “Russia poses an existential threat to Europeans.”

On Thursday, he further stressed the need for Europe to bolster its defences in light of changing US-Russia relations.

“I am convinced that we are entering a new era. It will impose choices on us,” he said. “We Europeans must increase our war effort.”

By Vugar Khalilov