PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview published Saturday evening that Western ground operations in Ukraine might be necessary “at some point,” days after meeting with German and Polish leaders.
Last month Macron refused to rule out putting troops on the ground in Ukraine, which prompted a stern response from Berlin and other European partners.
But the French president has not recanted from his position, but stressed that Western allies would not take the initiative.
“Maybe at some point — I don’t want it, I won’t take the initiative — we will have to have operations on the ground, whatever they may be, to counter the Russian forces,” Macron told newspaper Le Parisien in an interview conducted on Friday.
“France’s strength is that we can do it.”
Disagreements over the possibility of ground operations and the delivery of long-range missiles to Kyiv had threatened to undermine cooperation between the allies.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reacted angrily to Macron’s earlier refusal to rule out sending troops to Ukraine and his pointed comments urging allies not to be “cowards.”
Macron met his German and Polish counterparts in Berlin on Friday, in a show of solidarity behind Kyiv.
After the meeting, Macron said the three countries of the so-called Weimar Triangle were “united” in their aim to “never let Russia win and to support the Ukrainian people until the end.”
Macron says ground operations in Ukraine possible ‘at some point’
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Macron says ground operations in Ukraine possible ‘at some point’
- Last month Macron refused to rule out putting troops on the ground in Ukraine
- "Maybe at some point -- I don't want it, I won't take the initiative -- we will have to have operations on the ground," Macron told newspaper Le Parisien
South Korea police raid spy agency over drone flights into North
SEOUL: Investigators raided South Korea’s spy agency on Tuesday as they probed possible government links to a drone shot down over North Korea earlier this year.
Pyongyang accused Seoul of flying a drone into Kaesong in January, releasing images that purported to show debris from the downed aircraft.
Seoul initially denied the government was involved, with President Lee Jae Myung saying it would be akin to “firing a shot into the North.”
But authorities said on Tuesday they were investigating three active-duty soldiers and one spy agency employee.
Investigators from a joint military-police task force raided 18 locations of interest, including the Defense Intelligence Command and the National Intelligence Service.
“The task force said it will thoroughly establish the truth behind the drone incident through analysis of seized materials and a rigorous investigation of the suspects,” a statement read.
Three civilians have already been charged for their alleged role in the drone scandal.
One of them has publicly claimed responsibility, saying he acted to detect radiation levels from North Korea’s Pyongsan uranium processing facility.
Disgraced ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol is currently standing trial on charges he illegally sent drones into North Korea to help create the pretext for declaring martial law in late 2024.
His attempt to overturn civilian rule failed, and Yoon was impeached and ousted from office in April last year.
Provocation and propoganda
Prosecutors have accused Yoon of instructing Seoul’s military to fly drones over Pyongyang and distribute anti-North leaflets in an attempt to provoke a response.
They said Yoon and others “conspired to create conditions that would allow the declaration of emergency martial law.”
North Korea said last year it had proven that the South flew drones to drop propaganda leaflets over its capital.
Lee said in December that he felt an apology was due to North Korea over his predecessor’s alleged order to send drones.
“I feel I should apologize, but I hesitate to say it out loud,” he said at the time.
“I worry that if I do, it could be used as fodder for ideological battles or accusations of being pro-North,” he added.
Lee has taken steps to ease tensions since taking office, including removing propaganda loudspeakers along the border.
Pyongyang unveiled new attack drones in August 2024, with experts saying the capability may be attributable to the country’s budding alliance with Moscow.
North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un at the time ordered the “mass production” of attack drones, with analysts saying they may be designed to carry explosives and deliberately crash into enemy targets.
North Korea has previously sent trash-filled balloons over the South in what it called retaliation for activists in the South floating anti-regime propaganda missives northwards.
