The French President Emmanuell Macron has warned allies that we are “approaching a moment in our Europe.”
During a speech in Prague he strongly urged allies “not to be a coward” and it is now time for the West to step up to the mark in Ukraine, Reuters reported.
Macron told expats who live in Prague, “We are certainly approaching a moment in our Europe where it will be appropriate not to be a coward.”
On Tuesday the French President that both France and the Czech Republic are “well aware that war is back on our soil (Europe), that some powers which have become unstoppable are extending every day their threat of attacking us even more, and that we will have to live up to history and the courage that it requires.”
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Last Monday Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico warned that some NATO and EU members are considering to send troops to Ukraine.
Fico said that the troops will be sent to Ukraine “on a bilateral basis” and then added that Slovakia will not be sending their forces.
In a televised briefing, Fico said, “I will limit myself to say that these theses (in preparation for the Paris meeting) imply a number of NATO and EU member states are considering that they will send their troops to Ukraine on a bilateral basis.
“I cannot say for what purpose and what they should be doing there,” he said, added that Slovakia will not be sending soldiers to Ukraine.
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala was asked over the comments, he said, “The Czech Republic certainly is not preparing to send any soldiers to Ukraine, nobody has to worry about that.”
Macron said at the meeting, “I have noted that more or less all the countries represented around this table have said…that the common consensus was that we should be ready in a few years’ time, for Russia to attack these countries.
“We all agree we don’t want to go to war with the Russian people, but we’re determined to keep escalation under control.”
Macron said the meeting was set up to see how to “do more in terms of military support and budget support.”
The French President said that there is “no consensus at this stage” however, “nothing should be excluded.”