BERLIN, February 28. /TASS/. No attendees of the meeting in Paris on February 26 showed support for French President Emmanuel Macron's opinion that sending Western troops to Ukraine can’t be ruled out, Germany’s government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit told reporters.
"The French president then made a suggestion, which was made public at a subsequent news conference, whether other [options] should be contemplated, such as ground troops or something similar," Hebeestreit said. "The chancellor then spoke out quite quickly, assessing the proposal as not very appropriate. Then, during the course of the evening, no one present supported the French proposal, and everyone walked away."
French President Emmanuel Macron said at a news conference following a meeting of European leaders on February 26 that it discussed the possibility of sending ground troops from Western countries to Ukraine. He said there was no consensus on the idea, but did not rule this out as an option for the future.
Hebeestreit said the main issue discussed at the conference was "how to arrange for more assistance to Ukraine." It was about supplying weapons, including artillery rounds, grain exports, cybersecurity measures, and supporting Moldova.
The meeting in Paris was attended by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Polish President Andrzej Duda, and the prime ministers of about 20 other EU countries. The US was represented by US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien, and the UK by Foreign Minister David Cameron. Some of France's key allies have already expressed their opposition to sending troops to Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that the presence of Western troops in Ukraine in any form would escalate the conflict.