French President Emmanuel Macron has postponed a long-anticipated visit to Ukraine that was initially scheduled for February, with the visit now set to take place “in the next few weeks,” the Elysée Palace stated on 10 March.
In recent weeks, Macron has ramped up anti-Russia rhetoric that has caused tensions with some allies. He remarked that Europe must not be “cowards” against Russian aggression and said Western ground troops in Ukraine could not be “ruled out,” later adding that “we cannot afford to set limits for ourselves in the face of an enemy who sets no limits,”
Macron aims to “take the necessary time” for discussions with allies before traveling to Kyiv, a French diplomat told Politico on condition of anonymity. “A bit of time is needed to [conclude] the different coalitions and their operational commitments with our partners,” the diplomat said. The goal is for Macron to visit Ukraine “with tangible results.”
The delay does not stem from security concerns, an aide to Macron stated Monday after a Russian missile struck near the Greek prime minister during his recent visit. “There are no worries in terms of security,” the aide said.
Macron has been actively supporting initiatives to provide ammunition and long-range missiles to Ukraine, recently expressing support for a Czech initiative to provide Ukraine with 800,000 artillery shells from non-European Union countries to counter Russian aggression.
Later, the French Ministry of Defense announced that it plans to expand military support to Ukraine through specialized training initiatives that will include air and naval programs.
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