PARIS, March 17. /TASS/. French President Emmanuel Macron said that he does not rule out that Paris may carry out a ground operation in Ukraine at some point.

"Maybe, at some point - and I do not wish that and will not initiate that, it will be necessary to carry out operations, whatever they may be, locally in order to counter Russian forces," the French leader said in an interview for Le Parisien. "France’s might is in our ability to do so."

According to Macron, "many European countries, and not small ones at that, support France’s course."

"We are ready to prepare for any scenario. It would be a mistake not to do so. I am certain that, under any scenario, anyone would have taken responsibility, proceeding from the model of their choosing," Macron said.

On March 26, Macron said that representative of about 20 Western states discussed further aid for Kiev at a meeting in Paris, which also included an option to send ground troops to Ukraine. According to the president, the participants were unable to reach a consensus on this issue, but such scenario could not be ruled out in the future. Later, Macron added that "not to rule something out does not necessarily mean to do so.".