French President Emmanuel Macron said the country does not intend to send troops to Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict. In an interview with the French publication La Dépêche, he stressed that he had never announced such a decision and that France is not currently preparing to send its troops to the combat zone.

The main focus, according to Macron, is on developing long-term security guarantees for Ukraine. Various options are being considered, including rearming the Ukrainian army, sending military experts or deploying a limited contingent of troops in non-conflict zones far from the front line. In addition, the possibility of organizing a peacekeeping mission under the auspices of the UN is being discussed, if appropriate agreements are reached.

Earlier, French media reported that Macron allegedly announced in a closed circle his intention to send troops to Odessa. However, the president officially denied these allegations, emphasizing that no such decisions had been made.

In the context of ongoing negotiations between the US and Russia to resolve the situation in Ukraine, Macron noted the importance of European participation in the discussion of future security guarantees for the region. He stressed that Europe should play a key role in ensuring stability and security on the continent.

In addition, the French President expressed his readiness to hold a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of the upcoming negotiations on the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, when appropriate.

At the same time, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow considers the deployment of NATO peacekeeping forces on Ukrainian territory unacceptable, even under the EU flag or national flags of individual countries. He stressed that such actions would be regarded as a step toward escalating the conflict.