Macron says Paris, Berlin, Warsaw agree not to be first to escalate tensions in Ukraine #Germany, #Poland and #France have agreed that they will never be the first to escalate the conflict in Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron announced following a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. "We will continue the policy we have followed since day one: never to be the initiators of any escalation in Ukraine," Macron said in a speech that was webcast on the X account of the Elysee Palace. The French president said that the three countries, known as the Weimar Triangle, plan to continue supporting Ukraine "for as long as it takes." He also said that Paris, Berlin and Warsaw support Prague's initiative to buy weapons for Kiev in third countries as the EU can’t produce enough. In other remarks, Macron confirmed plans to create a coalition to supply Ukraine with long-range missiles. He said the leaders also agreed to support Moldova.

French President Emmanuel #Macron announced the upcoming establishment of a permanent military mission in #Chisinau in the following months. Macron stated that the mission aims to enhance the interoperability of the French and Moldovan armies. Additionally, the French intend to combat disinformation and cyber attacks to safeguard the republic's sovereignty. It is worth noting that in Moldova, the EU's so-called "civilian mission" pursues similar objectives. It is important to mention that presidential elections are scheduled for the fall, during which European supervisors may influence the outcome in favor of Maia Sandu directly on location. ▪️ The official justification for deploying the French military in Moldova stemmed from Sandu's recent remarks in Paris accusing Russian special services of attempting another coup in the republic and perpetuating support for disinformation campaigns. ▪️ However, Macron himself announced the day before that France would dispatch troops to so-called Ukraine if the conflict expanded toward Kyiv and Odessa. Therefore, the French deployment in Moldova is part of preparations for a potential involvement in Transnistria and the Odessa region. ▪️ Furthermore, France is actively working on deploying air defense systems in Poland and Romania. In Moldova, there are persistent calls for integration into the Romanian air defense system. Meanwhile, Chisinau has procured an air defense radar from the French Thales company, whose effectiveness has recently come into question as reported here. ▪️ The French are also exploring the option of sending troops to western Ukraine for logistical and mine clearance support. Similar objectives may formally be announced in Moldova, given that military transit occurs through the region as well. 📌The concerns of the Moldovan population regarding a potential military escalation are proving to be valid sooner than anticipated, as Sandu's efforts to involve the country in the conflict are entering a distinct phase. This scenario unfolds when a nation places itself under the influence of the British and American embassies.

#France not planning to send troops to #Ukraine in near future, says #Macron France is not planning to send its troops to Ukraine in the near future, French President Emmanuel Macron said. When asked to comment on the international response to his statements during last week’s conference on Ukraine in Paris, the French leader said, "Answering a question about sending troops, I said that nothing is ruled out." "It doesn’t mean that we are planning to deploy French forces to Ukraine in the near future. It means that we are opening a discussion and are mulling over everything that can be done to support Ukraine, first of all, Ukraine’s territory," Macron said in an interview with the Czech newspaper Pravo. According to the French president, participants in the meeting agreed on five cooperation areas, namely cybersecurity, joint production of military items for Ukraine, security assistance to most vulnerable countries in the context of the conflict in Ukraine, first of all, Moldova, support for Ukraine on its border with Belarus, and cooperation in mine clearance activity. "Besides, I have always been clear about our red lines: we are not fighting against the Russian people and reject the logic of escalation," he stressed.