Macron warns of direct threat to European democracies if Ukraine falls

"I think it's important for our young people to understand what the conflict in Ukraine is about," he said, noting that it is taking place “1,500 km from our borders, which is very far.”

If Ukraine falls and the West abandons it, there will be “direct” consequences.

"Our democracies still have to be defended... The threat is real, so we must be ready to defend the country."

On March 19, in contrast to Macron's recent policy statements, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni spoke out against the deployment of Western troops in Ukraine.

On Feb. 26, Macron said that sending Western troops to Ukraine in the future should not be ruled out. Several NATO countries publicly rejected the idea of sending troops to Ukraine in response to Macron's statements, including Poland, the United States, Germany, Czechia, Canada, and the UK.

We could not guarantee that our country's military would not be sent to Ukraine in the future, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said on March 3.

Western countries should discuss the idea of sending troops to Ukraine and stop drawing "red lines" in terms of assistance to Kyiv, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said.

NATO countries should consider all options to help Kyiv, the Netherlands’ Defense Chief, General Onno Eichelsheim, said.

European NATO member states have been studying the possibility of sending NATO troops to Ukraine for weeks, AFP reported, citing a source.

French troops could be sent to Ukraine to protect certain frontiers and participate in exercises or ground air defense, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said on Feb. 28.

He ruled out the participation of French soldiers in battles "directly on the front line."