Emmanuel Macron has warned that a European peacekeeping force could "respond" if Russia launches an attack while its troops are stationed in Ukraine.
The French President's stark warning followed Nato’s earlier vow to unleash its "full force" if Russia launched an onslaught during the ceasefire to members on the other side of the Black Sea.
Ahead of a Paris summit on Ukraine tomorrow, Macron said European soldiers would retaliate if Putin’s troops launched an attack during the truce.
Speaking to the press after a day of discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris, Macron warned: "If there was again a generalised aggression against Ukrainian soil, these armies would be under attack and then it’s our usual framework of engagement.
Emmanuel Macron has warned that a European peacekeeping force for Ukraine could “respond” if it falls under attack from Moscow
REUTERS
"Our soldiers, when they are engaged and deployed, are there to react and respond to the decisions of the commander in chief and, if they are in a conflict situation, to respond to it."
Earlier today, Nato chief Mark Rutte promised that the international organisation would defend Poland "with full force" if the eastern European nation stood face-to-face with Russian attacks.
Under such circumstances, the former Dutch leader warned the Russian President that "our reaction will be devastating".
During a visit to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Rutte said: "In an increasingly dangerous world, boosting defence spending is essential.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
"Let’s not forget that Russia remains the most significant and dire threat to our alliance."
He continued: "And let me be absolutely clear: when it comes to the defence of Poland and the general defence of Nato territory, if anyone were to miscalculate and think they can get away with an attack on Poland or any other ally, they will be met with the full force of this fierce alliance."
Echoing the words of both the Nato chief and the French President, senior Zelensky ally Zigor Zhovkva declared that Britons must prepare to fight the Kremlin in an ardent defence of Ukraine.
"It’s not the amount which matters... it is also their readiness to fight, their readiness to defend, their readiness to be equipped," Zhovkva told AFP.
Rutte warned the Russian President that Nato's reaction would be "devastating" if Moscow attacked during the truce
REUTERS
Last month, Sir Keir Starmer vowed to establish a "coalition of the willing" to set up a European peacekeeping force to patrol the Ukrainian border with Russia.
He promised to put "planes in the air and boots on the ground".
However, since his announcement, UK army insiders described his peace plan as mere "political theatre".
Meanwhile, US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff dubbed his plan as "simplistic" and a "posture and a pose".
