Macron says France, its allies ready to support Ukraine “in the air, at sea and on land”

On August 19, French President Emmanuel Macron said that France, along with other Western allies, is prepared to carry out reassurance operations for Ukraine “in the air, at sea and on land,” following high-stakes peace talks in Washington.

Speaking to French broadcaster LCI, Macron stressed that the next two weeks are “absolutely critical” for defining concrete security guarantees for Ukraine, Caliber.Az reports per Politico.

The president emphasised that these operations would not be at the frontline or provocative, but aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s deterrence and ensuring European security.

What that security guarantee entails is not yet clear, though Macron told LCI that "the British, French, Germans, Turks and others are ready to carry out operations, not at the frontline, not provocatively, but reassurance operations in the air, at sea and on land."

Macron and several European leaders met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on August 17, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. While details of the security guarantees remain unclear, Macron praised Trump for acknowledging the need to bolster Ukraine’s security.

In addition, Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are set to co-chair a videoconference of the Coalition of the Willing on Tuesday, August 19, continuing efforts to solidify international support for Ukraine.

However, Macron also called for caution, describing Russia as a “destabilizing force” and emphasizing that any peace deal must provide lasting protection for Ukraine and European stability.

"We want to make sure that this peace, and so this deal will be something which will allow the Ukrainians to recover their country and live in peace, to be sure the day after this peace deal that they will have sufficient deterrence power not to be attacked again, and to be sure for the Europeans that they will live in peace and security," Macron told NBC News.

Macron said that Putin’s willingness — or refusal — to take part in the trilateral meeting with Zelenskyy and Trump would help "clear up ambiguities" and reveal whether the Russian leader was serious about making peace.

He suggested Geneva as a potential neutral venue for a trilateral meeting with Putin and Zelenskyy, noting that the Russian leader’s participation would signal Moscow’s seriousness about pursuing peace.

By Khagan Isayev