Macron's remark on deployment of foreign troops in Ukraine irks U.S. officials, reports Bloomberg. US State Department reacts

Bloomberg cites its own sources for this information.

The report highlights that Macron appears to be positioning himself as a leading figure in European foreign policy. However, not all of his allies are convinced that he is the most suitable advocate for addressing issues in Gaza and Ukraine.

In response to Macron's announcement, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz publicly criticized the idea of sending troops. Privately, U.S. officials have expressed concerns that Macron's move could risk a confrontation with Moscow.

A U.S. official remarked that by pressuring Berlin to publicly reject the idea of troop deployment, Macron has clarified allied red lines, eliminating any lingering ambiguity.

State Department reaction 

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller responded to Bloomberg's publication and said he "doesn't have any reaction."

"But of course we have made clear that the United States is not going to send any troops to Ukraine," he said.

He added that Macron is “the head of a longtime ally of the United States and we work productively with him on a number of matters, including support for Ukraine.”

Background

On February 26, approximately 20 European leaders gathered in Paris to discuss threats from Russian President Vladimir Putin. French President Emmanuel Macron stated after the conference that the deployment of Western ground troops to counter Russian aggression should remain a possibility in the future.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico stated that certain NATO and EU member countries are reportedly considering sending their troops to Ukraine after signing bilateral agreements with Kyiv.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Alliance leaders clarified that no general decision has been made to deploy troops to Ukraine, with Russia warning that such action would be considered a declaration of war.

On February 29, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas emphasized that Western leaders should keep the option of sending ground troops to Ukraine open.

On March 4, Macron mentioned that he currently has no plans to deploy French troops to Ukraine but initiated a debate on the topic. On March 5, he urged allies not to hesitate regarding Ukraine and to increase their efforts. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius responded to his call.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated that the discussion sparked by Macron's remarks about deploying Western troops to Ukraine will help Europe realize the need for further action.

Macron stressed that France is committed and prepared to allocate resources to achieve victory over Russia when discussing the idea of sending Western troops to Ukraine.

Both left- and right-wing French parties criticized President Macron's support for Ukraine, expressed in an interview on March 14.

Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa voiced support for Macron's proposal to send NATO troops to Ukraine for training.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba clarified that Macron was referring to the possibility of training when he mentioned sending Western troops to Ukraine.