Special Summit in France in Support of Ukraine with 27 Countries: Deployment of Western Forces Not Excluded
The President of Ukraine took part in the special summit in Paris the day before. The main topic of the summit of twenty-seven allied countries, which was convened by the President of France, was the strengthening of assistance to Ukraine in Europe, weapons arsenals, production and supply of weapons for Ukraine, and the continuity of military and financial support.
"Everything we do together to defend against Russian aggression adds real security to our nations for decades to come. Because each of Russia's losses and each of Russia's defeats teaches Russia and any other enemy of Europe and the free world in general that aggression does not and cannot produce results. Cooperation and determination are the two answers that everyone should give to the question of ending the war and bringing peace closer," President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
He also regretted that only 30% of the shells promised to Kyiv by the European Union (EU) by March 2024 had been delivered.
"The reality is that in the very short term, you can only provide the ammunition that you have in stock or that you produce on time," Emmanuel Macron explained this Monday evening during his press conference.
"It is clear that we did not have these million munitions. It was undoubtedly a reckless commitment," he admitted.
The French president also announced new measures to provide more weapons, including "medium- and long-range missiles and bombs". He added that the deployment of Western troops in the future cannot be "ruled out".
"Today there is no consensus on sending ground troops in an official, predictable and approved way. But in the long run, nothing can be ruled out. We will do everything necessary to prevent Russia from winning this war," Emmanuel Macron explained.
The French President also announced the creation of a coalition to supply "medium and long-range missiles and bombs that are extremely important for Ukrainians", without giving details.
Several European countries support the Czech Republic's initiative for the European Union (EU) to purchase ammunition outside Europe to further support Ukraine's military efforts, participants in the Ukrainian summit said.