President Macron Says Sending Troops To Ukraine To Beat Russia Cannot Be Put Aside

President Zelensky, President Macron and Chancellor Scholz. (Twitter/@Bundeksizler)

JAKARTA - President Emmanuel Macron said sending Western ground troops to Ukraine to defeat could not be ruled out, after hosting a meeting of European leaders to discuss this. "There is no agreement tonight to officially send troops to the field, but we cannot exclude anything," he told reporters.

President Macron said the aid conference for Ukraine brought together representatives from 27 EU member states including 21 heads of state and government, he said.

"We will do whatever we can to prevent Russia from winning this war," said President Macron.

"And I say this with determination, but also with the collective humility we need to have, given the last two years," he continued.

"The people who say 'never' today are the same people who say there will never be airplanes, there has never been a long-range missile, there has never been a truck. They said all that two years ago. Many have said that 'we will offer helmets and pockets of sleep,' and now they say we need to do more to get missiles and tanks. We must be humble and realize that we are always six to eight months late,' said President Macron, who also announced a new coalition would be formed to supply medium and long-range "misils and bombs" to Ukraine.

Citing The National News, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Polish President Andrzej Duda were among leaders from about 25 European countries attending the conference.

Other countries sent their ministers, attended by British Foreign Minister David Cameron, as well as representatives from the United States and Canada.

"Together we must ensure that Putin cannot destroy our achievements and does not extend his aggression to other countries," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a short video message at the conference.

Unfortunately, Western officials admit that Russia may be superior in this year's conflict, as Ukraine is running out of weapons and ammunition.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said on Sunday half of the Western military aid promised to Kyiv was delivered late.