According to the President of the European Commission, war “may not be imminent, but it is not impossible” for the EU.”We shouldn’t exaggerate the dangers of war, but we should be ready for it, and the first step in doing so is to urgently rebuild, restock, and modernize the armed forces of member states,” the speaker stated.
Following a summit with two dozen European leaders in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron issued a warning, saying that while there was “no consensus” on the deployment of Western soldiers to Ukraine, “nothing should be excluded.” Her remarks follow his warning.
Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman for the Kremlin, responded to this in a concerning way, stating that “we would need to talk about the inevitability (of a direct conflict),” rather than the possibility, if NATO nations committed soldiers to fight in Ukraine.
Being physically present in the conflict in Ukraine would shatter a significant taboo that the West has thus far been unwilling to confront: up until now, NATO nations have merely provided the Ukrainian army with weaponry.After Macron declined to rule out deploying soldiers to Ukraine, Ursula von der Leyen (pictured) issued a warning, saying that EU states’should be prepared for the risks of conflict’ and need to rebuild their military forces ‘urgently’.
“You can’t rule anything out in a war,” French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal reiterated, although Downing Street insisted that no “large-scale” force deployment to Ukraine was in the works.Despite the “unprecedented military support” from the alliance, a NATO official—who spoke on the condition of anonymity—emphasized that ‘there are no preparations for NATO combat troops on the ground in Ukraine.
One of the primary goals of the new European Industrial Defense Strategy, which Von der Leyen’s commission will submit in the upcoming weeks, is to prioritize cooperative procurement, she said in her speech to the European Parliament today.
She declared, “Europe should work to create and produce the next generation of operational capabilities that will win battles.” This entails accelerating our defense industry’s growth over the next five years.
She said that increased defense spending in Europe wouldn’t make the NATO alliance less necessary. “In fact, bolstering NATO depends on a more sovereign Europe, especially when it comes to defense,” she continued. She added that the EU ought to think about funding Ukraine’s armed forces with proceeds from Russian assets that have been placed under lockdown.
In an address to the European Parliament, she urged the EU to take a more active role in defense policy. “It is time to start a conversation about using the windfall profits of frozen Russian assets to jointly purchase military equipment for Ukraine,” she said.Making Ukraine and all of Europe a safer place to live is the best use of that money and the strongest symbol there is.
Macron said that “we have seen hardening on the part of Russia, especially these past few months,” and he advocated further action to support Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.He claimed that this had shown itself in the death on February 16 in the custody of Alexei Navalny, the principal adversary of President Vladimir Putin, as well as in the tightening of Russia’s positions on the front lines, where it was organizing ‘new strikes’.
According to Macron, the West needs to “leap” in its approach by considering how the threat has changed from a military and strategic standpoint. Following a summit of two dozen European leaders in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron (pictured) issued a warning, saying that while there was “no consensus” on the deploying of Western soldiers to Ukraine, “nothing should be excluded.” Her remarks follow his warning.
On February 27, in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian soldiers from the assault brigade “Bureviy” (Hurricane), a unit of the Ukrainian National Guard, fire 105 mm Italian OTO Melara Mod 56 Pack Howitzers from their positions in the Avdiivka direction.
Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin (pictured), responded to Macron’s comments with concern, stating that “we would need to talk about the inevitability (of a direct conflict),” rather than the likelihood, if NATO countries committed soldiers to fight in Ukraine.
However, prior of the summit, pro-Moscow Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (shown left with Macron, right) disclosed that NATO was considering placing boots on the ground. This suggestion prompted concerns from Russia.
NATO “will do whatever it takes to ensure that Russia cannot win this war,” the speaker continued.The president of France announced additional initiatives to support Kiev in its conflict with Vladimir Putin’s forces, including the delivery of missiles and bombs to the nation.
Macron announced that’missiles and bombs of medium and long range to carry out deep strikes’ will be sent to Ukraine by the new coalition. He said there was a “wide consensus to do more and quicker.” Nothing must be left out in order to accomplish our goal. That war cannot be won by Russia.
Macron added that there was agreement that “security and stability” on the continent depended on Russia’s defeat.He declared that Russia was acting “more aggressively, not just in Ukraine but throughout the world.”
A conference held in the Elysee Palace in Paris brought together about twenty-five European heads of state and government, including Polish President Andrzej Duda and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.Other nations dispatched ministers; the United States and Canada were represented, and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron was in Paris.
However, Russia issued a warning in response to Macron’s remarks that NATO was thinking of placing troops on the ground—a potential strategy that pro-Moscow Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico had disclosed prior to the summit.
When asked about Macron’s comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded, “The very fact of discussing the possibility of sending certain contingents to Ukraine from NATO countries is a very important new element.”
According to Peskov, the West ought to consider whether such a situation serves the interests of their nations and peoples. As Ukraine runs out of ammo and weapons, Russia could take the upper hand in the conflict this year, as Western officials have already admitted.
In the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, on Monday, members of the 68th Separate Jager Infantry Brigade ‘Oleksa Dovbush’ fired a howitzer into Russian troops from an unidentified location.On February 26, at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron gives a speech to kick off a conference with government representatives and leaders from Europe in support of Ukraine.
In Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, a soldier gets ready to fire artillery from a shelter. Half of the Western military aid promised to Kyiv is being delivered late, according to Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who also noted that “commitment does not constitute delivery.”
Zelensky revealed the extent of Ukraine’s casualties in the conflict with Russia, stating that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers had died.Speaking anonymously, a French presidential official stated that the purpose of the meeting was to dispel any ‘perception that things are falling apart’ in light of Ukraine’s military defeats.
The person stated, “We want to send Putin a clear message that he will not prevail in Ukraine. “As a new aid package battles to gain congressional approval and Donald Trump, who has voiced resistance to further support for Kyiv, looks to win back the presidency in this year’s elections, there are rising concerns about the viability of long-term US backing for Ukraine.