A DRASTIC AND UNDESIRABLE IDEA

By VG - Per Olav Ødegård - 29 February 2024

It would be a drastic and risky decision to send ground forces from various nations into the war in Ukraine.

It was therefore surprising that French President Emmanuel Macron, at a press conference in Paris on Monday, would not rule out the possibility that it could happen.

A few months ago, that would have been unthinkable. It is neither realistic nor desirable today.

That is not what Ukraine is asking for. The Ukrainians want ammunition and weapons to be able to defend themselves against Russian aggression.

In Paris, Macron stood on the barricade and declared that they would do whatever it took to prevent Russia from winning.

To strengthen his efforts for Ukraine, he gathered leaders from over 20 countries, including Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, for a conference.

Macron will take over the leadership of the coalition supporting Ukraine. It is a role that comes naturally to French presidents and their great power ambitions.

Macron sees that there is room for French leadership. He fills the vacuum created by an internal and deadlocked power struggle in the United States.

When the war came to Europe two years ago, it was Joe Biden who gathered the allies and called for action, both in the form of sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine. The United States led the way as by far the largest contributor of weapons and money.

For several months, Biden has tried in vain to get Congress to adopt a new support package for Ukraine.

But the Republicans resist and presidential candidate Donald Trump casts doubt on whether the United States will stand by the security guarantee of European allies.

It allows Macron to appear as both a leading diplomat and general in the bloody drama unfolding in Ukraine.

Macron's diplomatic push to persuade Vladimir Putin not to invade Ukraine was unsuccessful. Now Macron instead wants to ensure that Russia does not win the war. The Western allies must do more and act faster than they have done up to now.

In Paris, many countries are said to have supported a Czech initiative to buy large quantities of artillery shells outside Europe, which can quickly be sent to Ukraine. It is a concrete and important plan, in contrast to lofty thinking about possible future ground forces.

Aside from the sidetrack about ground forces, Macron's analysis of the threat we face is spot on. As he points out, support for Ukraine is also about security and stability in Europe.

Macron says that no one wants to go to war against the Russian people and that all the Western allies are determined to prevent a further escalation.

Then the answer is not to send ground forces.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Western countries' line has been clear and predictable. It is the Ukrainians who are fighting a defensive war. The role of the West is to support Ukraine, by sending weapons and financial support.

Jonas Gahr Støre categorically rejects that Norway will send soldiers. So do a large number of other European leaders. Støre says that this is not, and will not become, a war between NATO and Russia.

Vladimir Putin tells his countrymen a different story: That Russia is not fighting Ukraine, but that they are fighting a defensive war against the West. If Western countries had sent ground forces to Ukraine, the Kremlin would take it as an income for its view.

It is interesting who first publicly aired the idea of ​​ground forces. Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Monday morning that several NATO and EU countries were considering sending forces to Ukraine, on a bilateral basis.

Just the thought of this sent chills down my spine, Fico said. He has often been criticized for being pro-Russian and has recently advocated that Ukraine must give up land for peace. He has also said that Ukraine is not a sovereign state.

There is an emerging understanding in European capitals that Putin's imperial ambitions are not limited to Ukraine. And that the threat to other countries becomes imminent if Putin wins.

That is why it is urgent to help Ukraine. The Russian forces have managed to strengthen their positions at the front. While Ukraine lacks ammunition and must ration, the Russian forces continue their relentless bombardment.

Another realization has also become apparent. European countries must do much more to safeguard their security.

This applies regardless of the outcome of the US presidential election. But the challenge becomes particularly precarious if Trump wins.