It is "madness"; Macron's statement stirred chaos

In this attempt, he encounters resistance from French politicians, writes Politico.

With Ukrainian forces pushed back on the battlefield and uncertainty over further Western military aid, Macron said Monday that Europe was at stake and said the possibility of European nations sending troops to Ukraine in the future should not be ruled out.

Macron's statement has already met with criticism from the French opposition.

Far-right National Rally leader Marine Le Pen said Macron was playing with the lives of French children, not ruling out the possibility of deploying Western troops in Ukraine.

Far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon stated that conflicting nuclear powers against each other represented, as he called it, "madness."

The Socialist Party and conservative Republicans also condemned Macron's statement.

According to polls, Macron's centrist liberal Revival party currently has far less support from citizens compared to the far left and far right ahead of the European elections in June.

Macron's effort to provide more aid to Ukraine is not in line with the prevailing attitude of French citizens either.

Recent polls show that only 50 percent of the French support sending aid to Ukraine for the sake of arming the Ukraine.

According to polls, only 62 percent of French people support sanctions against Russia, compared with 72 percent at the beginning of the war.

French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné said on Tuesday that French troops could have a non-combat role in Ukraine and could help with demining, cyber defense and weapons production.

Séjourné told MPs that new actions for Western support for Ukraine must be considered.

"Some of those actions could require a presence on Ukrainian territory, without crossing the threshold of combat. Nothing should be ruled out," Séjourné said.

Macron's statement provoked a series of responses from allies who announced that they have no intention of sending troops to Ukraine.