French President Emmanuel Macron has once again brought the possibility of Western 'boots on the ground' in Ukraine back into international headlines, after first controversially floating that the idea can't be ruled out months ago.
In a fresh interview with The Economist, Macron said the possibility of injecting NATO troops into the conflict would "legitimately" arise in the scenario the Russia broke through the front lines and if the Zelensky government specifically made such a request.
Macron explained to the magazine that "if Russia decided to go further, we will in any case all have to ask ourselves this question" of sending troops. He called his prior words before NATO-member defense ministers in Paris urging them to not rule out troops a "strategic wake-up call for my counterparts."
Days ago in a speech he dramatically declared that Europe is "mortal" and could "die" if Russia wins in Ukraine and continues on an expansionist, destructive path (an assumption that many knowledgeable analysts have rejected as a real aim of Putin's).
Speaking to the The Economist, Macron further called Russia "a power of regional destabilization" and "a threat to Europeans' security".
"I have a clear strategic objective: Russia cannot win in Ukraine," Macron continued. "If Russia wins in Ukraine, there will be no security in Europe."
"Who can pretend that Russia will stop there? What security will there be for the other neighboring countries: Moldova, Romania, Poland, Lithuania and the others?" he posed theoretically.
A key problem and danger for escalation posed by Macron's words is that Russian forces are already breaking through front lines in some key areas in the east.
As expected, these fresh and provocative remarks drew swift condemnation from the Kremlin, with Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying "The statement is very important and very dangerous."
Macron "continues to constantly talk about the possibility of direct involvement on the ground in the conflict around Ukraine. This is a very dangerous trend," Peskov emphasized.
Peskov also called out remarks by UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron, who has also traveled to Kiev. He said the hawkish stance of France and the UK "potentially pose a danger to European security, to the entire European security architecture."
"We see a dangerous tendency towards escalation in official statements. This is raising our concern," he concluded.