France's Macron urges allies not be 'cowardly' on Ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron has urged Ukraine's allies not to be "cowards" in helping the war-torn country fight off Russia's invasion.
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Macron has faced a backlash from many Western allies after he discussed the idea of sending Western troops to Ukraine at a Paris-based conference last month.
During a visit to Prague on Tuesday, the French leader said he "fully" stood by his controversial comments, adding that a "strategic leap" was necessary.
"We are surely approaching a moment for Europe in which it will be necessary not to be cowards," Macron said on his visit to the Czech Republic, which is pushing a plan to buy weapons outside Europe for Ukraine.
Speaking later after meeting his Czech counterpart Petr Pavel, he asked: "Is this or is it not our war? Can we look away in the belief that we can let things run their course?"
Macron said that France and the Czech Republic were "well aware that war is back on our soil".
Some powers, he added, had become "unstoppable" and were extending their threat of attack each day.
"We will have to live up to history and the courage that it requires," Macron said.
Troops refusal
Most of Macron's European allies said they would not send troops to Ukraine after his comments on 26 February.
The White House said Tuesday that Ukraine had never sought Western troops.
"President Zelensky isn't asking for that, he's just asking for the tools and capabilities. He's never asked for foreign troops to fight for his country," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters in Washington.
Germany's defence minister said Macron's quotes were not helpful.
"We don't need really, from my perspective at least, discussions about boots on the ground or having more courage or less courage," Boris Pistorius said at a press conference in Stockholm after meeting with his Swedish counterpart Pal Jonson.
"This is something which does not really help solve the issues we have when it comes to helping Ukraine," he added.
French officials have said that Western forces could be sent to back operations such as de-mining rather than fighting Russian forces.
"We want no escalation, we've never been belligerent," Macron said Tuesday.
Ammunitions
Macron also stressed on Tuesday his support for plans announced last month by the Czech Republic, backed by Canada, Denmark and others, to finance the rapid purchase of hundreds of thousands of ammunition rounds from third countries to dispatch to Ukraine.
Ukraine is critically short of artillery rounds as its troops try to hold back Russian forces who are again on the offensive in the east, two years after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion.
"We support this initiative and we are ready to contribute to it," Macron said of the Czech plan.
Macron did not say what France would contribute to the initiative, adding that ministers would work on that.
But he opened the door to using European funds for it.
(with newswires)
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