The Kremlin said Thursday, March 7, that French President Emmanuel Macron was increasing France's involvement in Ukraine, after he declined to rule out deploying troops there. Macron has since doubled down on his remarks, which stunned many in Europe and represented a significant shift in rhetoric as Ukraine struggles on the battlefield.
"Macron is convinced of his line to strategically defeat our country, and he continues to raise the level of France's direct involvement," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Peskov said Paris had given "very contradictory" statements about whether it was open to sending troops to Ukraine, and that the French foreign ministry had since talked down the suggestion.
On Tuesday, Macron said he "fully stood behind" his controversial remarks and urged Kyiv's allies not to be "cowardly" in supporting the country's fight against Russia. He met leaders of France's main political parties on Thursday as he sought to hammer home the importance of greater support for Ukraine ahead of European elections this summer.