France Prepared to Prevent Russia from Winning, What’s Germany’s Move?

The pressure on Western Europe is on the rise due to the changing mood in Eastern Europe. If Russia were to win the war, it is believed that Western Europe would not be forgiven, threatening the future of the entire European Union (EU), as reported by Bloomberg.

On Monday, a meeting discussing support for Ukraine was held in Paris, organized by French President Emmanuel Macron. The meeting comes two years after Russia began its aggressive war against Ukraine and shortly after the death of Russia’s well-known opposition politician, Alexei Navalny, in prison.

In December, EU countries decided to commence membership discussions with Ukraine and agreed on a €50 billion support package in early February. However, these decisions have not improved the situation on the ground, with Ukraine facing a severe shortage of military supplies.

The most notable outcome of the meeting was the decision to start purchasing ammunition from outside of Europe, a move that was previously opposed by France due to the desire to direct funds towards the European military industry.

The potential for EU countries to send their own ground forces to Ukraine was also discussed, but no consensus was reached. Macron’s stance on the issue has reportedly toughened considerably.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated on Tuesday that neither NATO nor EU forces would be sent to Ukraine, a sentiment echoed by many other EU leaders. Dmitri Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, warned that the deployment of NATO troops would lead directly to conflict.

The issue remains unresolved and is characteristic of the broad lines within the EU, with France often proposing ideas that are initially met with disdain by Germany, but ultimately result in aligned policies.

Macron has suggested that France could use its nuclear weapons to protect NATO-Europe, a proposal supported by Poland. France and Britain are currently the only nuclear-armed states in Europe.

While the situation remains fluid, Macron has made it clear that every necessary step will be taken to prevent Russia from winning the war. Whether Germany will also commit to this stance remains to be seen.