France continues to provide aid to Kiev, US affirms not to send troops to Ukraine

“We have never crossed the line of consensus in the Ukraine conflict, and we will not do so,” he said, according to LCI. “France’s message to Russia is absolutely clear: Paris will continue to provide aid to Kiev,” Sejourne said.

Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking to his compatriots in Prague, called on European allies to "not be timid" when it comes to the Ukraine conflict. On February 26, Mr. Macron said that during a meeting in Paris, where representatives of about 20 Western countries discussed further support for Ukraine, the parties discussed the option of sending troops to Ukraine. According to Mr. Macron, the parties could not reach an agreement on this issue, but such a scenario cannot be ruled out in the future.

After the conference, representatives of the majority of participating countries stated that they had no plans to send ground forces to Ukraine and opposed participating in combat operations against Russia. On February 27, Sejourne clarified that the presence of Western troops in Ukraine may be necessary to provide specific types of aid, including mine clearance and training of Ukrainian troops, but this does not mean direct participation in the conflict.

In another development, White House spokesman and US National Security Council Advisor on Strategic Communications John Kirby, when referring to the French President's call that allies should not be afraid or cowardly, affirmed that the US will not send troops to fight in Ukraine.

"I'm not going to analyze President Macron's statement. I mean, he certainly has the full right and ability to express his views. All I can do is speak on behalf of the President, Commander-in-Chief Joe Biden," the official said.

According to Kirby, Mr. Biden made it very clear from the beginning of the conflict that “there would be no American troops on the ground engaging in combat in Ukraine.”