The statement comes after Macron spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyj in Paris on Wednesday ahead of a European top meeting on Thursday where peace and security in Ukraine will be discussed.
If there were to be a comprehensive aggression against Ukrainian territory, these armies would be attacked and then it's our regular framework for involvement, says Macron.
Our soldiers, when they have been deployed and are stationed, are there to react and respond to the commander-in-chief's decision and, if they find themselves in a conflict situation, to respond to it, he continues.
Last week, when Macron's initiative for a top meeting was made public, it was announced that the meeting would, among other things, address preparations for a peacekeeping force in Ukraine if a peace agreement were to be reached.
Macron does not specify on Wednesday what type of response he had in mind in the event of a Russian attack. The forces would not be stationed at the front lines, but would mark European support. The goal is to guarantee a lasting peace – a "pacifist approach", according to Macron.
Macron, together with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has driven the work of building a coalition of countries that are willing to support the deployment of an armed force in Ukraine, with the aim of securing a lasting peace by deterring Russia from attacking the country again.
