Emmanuel Macron tried to convince Joe Biden and Olaf Scholz to adopt ‘strategic ambiguity’ towards Russia

French President Emmanuel Macron held confidential talks with US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in February to convince them of the need for a “strategic ambiguities” in their approach to Russia, the Wall Street Journal reported on April 3, citing confidential official sources.

The talks took place ahead of the allies’ summit in Paris, during which Emmanuel Macron said sending Western troops to Ukraine should not be ruled out in the future. His public remarks took many allies by surprise, with several NATO members, including Germany and the US, flatly rejecting the possibility. Macron’s statement also represented an unexpected shift from his more cautious stances at the start of the full-scale war, according to the Kyiv Independent.

The new proposals of the French president would mean a radical change in the permanent strategy of the West, which currently focuses on assistance to Ukraine, without crossing certain “red lines”, which could lead to the escalation of tensions with Russia.

US President Joe Biden questioned the need to change that strategy in talks with Macron, while Olaf Scholz strongly opposed the idea and said such a radical move risked dividing allies.

Several French officials later pointed out that Emmanuel Macron’s suggestion was to send NATO troops to train Ukrainian personnel or clear minefields, not to actually participate in the fighting.

Several allies, such as Estonia or the Czech Republic, have said that the deployment of troops, for example for non-combatant tasks, should not be completely ruled out.

The government in Kiev has never asked the West to send troops to Ukraine, instead it has repeatedly and increasingly insisted on increased arms deliveries to help Ukrainian soldiers repel Russian aggression.

In March, the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky said that “as long as Ukraine resists, the French army can remain on French territory.”