Biden and Macron to discuss Ukraine strategy amid troop debate
"President has from the beginning made it clear that we aren't looking for World War Three here," said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on Friday. He thus referred, on the eve of a meeting with President Macron, to the French leader's suggestion about the possible deployment of soldiers.
8 June 2024 05:04
"[President Biden] fully respects President Macron’s prerogatives and his ability to express his views about what’s going on in Ukraine and how and why and to what degree the French people are going to respond to support Ukraine. At the same time, as President of the United States and Commander-in-Chief, he’s made his own view well known: that there’s not going to be U.S. boots on the ground in combat in Ukraine. The President has from the beginning made it clear that we aren’t looking for World War Three here, and we’re not looking for a war with Russia," said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby. He was responding during an online briefing to a question about what Biden thinks of President Macron's comments on the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine.
In recent months, Macron has repeatedly maintained that he does not rule out sending troops, arguing that deterring Russia should also involve keeping Moscow uncertain about what the West will do.
Biden to meet with Macron
Announcing Biden's Saturday visit to the Élysée Palace, a White House representative emphasized that the war in Ukraine and long-term support for Kyiv will be the main topics of discussion. The leaders will also discuss cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, including strengthening port security and law enforcement in the region's waters.
When asked what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Biden about the frontline situation in Ukraine during their meeting in Paris on Friday, spokesman John Kirby said that the Ukrainian president gave an "honest" assessment of the pressure his troops are under in the Donbas. He also noted that thanks to the help provided by the U.S., Ukrainians have managed to stop the Russian advance around Kharkiv.
"I think it’s safe to say that while they are still under pressure from the Russians, particularly in the east, that because they have now been able to receive the benefits of five security packages and now a sixth coming, as the President announced today, that they have been able to thwart Russian advances, particularly around Kharkiv" Kirby noted.
