French President Emmanuel Macron has issued a stark warning that Europe’s security hinges on defeating Russia’s brutal onslaught in Ukraine, as he announced a bold plan to arm Kyiv with lethal weapons.
He was speaking in Paris, where he convened an emergency summit of European leaders to forge a united front against Moscow’s expansionist ambitions. He revealed that they had agreed to form a coalition to supply Ukraine with medium- and long-range missiles and bombs, to counter Russia’s overwhelming firepower.
He also said that there was “no consensus” on deploying Western troops to Ukraine, but stressed that “nothing should be excluded” in the face of Russia’s escalating aggression.
Russia has made sweeping advances in Ukraine, which is struggling to defend itself with outdated and insufficient weapons. Kyiv is desperately reliant on modern military aid from its Western allies, especially the US, to stand a chance against Russia – a colossal adversary with a seemingly endless supply of artillery shells.
But the fate of a crucial $95bn (£75bn) US aid package – including $61bn for Ukraine – hangs in the balance, as it faces fierce opposition in the House of Representatives.
Last weekend, Ukraine’s defence minister lamented that half of all Western aid for Kyiv had been delayed, resulting in needless deaths and lost territory.
A full-scale invasion of Ukraine unleashed by Russian President Vladimir Putin is now in its third year, with no end in sight to the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War Two. Monday’s crisis meeting in support of Ukraine was attended by heads of European states, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and top government officials like UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron.
