Exclusive
Emmanuel Macron’s statements about not wanting to rule out sending ground troops to Ukraine irritated many in the West, including Chancellor Scholz. In conversation with the star Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas is open to this.
After the controversial Ukraine summit at the Elysée Palace in Paris earlier this week, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas praised the host, French President Emmanuel Macron, for his commitment on Kiev’s side. “The summit came at the right time. President Macron emphasized the spirit of victory,” Kallas said in an interview with the star. “Ukraine’s victory must be our goal, otherwise we will achieve nothing. That was the spirit of this meeting.”
At a press conference following the meeting, Macron did not rule out sending NATO ground troops to Ukraine. Chancellor Scholz was angry and responded with a sharp denial. Kallas said: “We debated very openly behind closed doors in Paris. There were different proposals, not all of which met with approval from all sides. But it’s good that we are discussing all options.”
But it is also clear that “public opinion on this differs in different countries. Political leaders must take this into account.”
A few days before the Paris meeting, Kallas said in a speech in Hamburg in the presence of the Federal Chancellor that at the Munich Security Conference in mid-February she had “missed a spirit of victory” with regard to Ukraine. That was different in Paris, she now said star.
“We shouldn’t be afraid of our own power”
Regarding the Chancellor’s detailed statement at the beginning of the week that he would not deliver any Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, Kallas said: “Germany has done a lot for Ukraine, as the absolute figures for German military aid make clear. France is also doing a lot to achieve this to support Ukraine.” It is very important that both countries take a leadership role in supporting Ukraine and working towards a Ukrainian victory.
“We shouldn’t be afraid of our own power and we shouldn’t overestimate Russia’s power. The fear of escalation leads us to make ourselves smaller than we are. That’s wrong,” said Kallas. “Russia knows that NATO is militarily superior and doesn’t want a conflict with NATO any more than we want a conflict with Russia.” Alluding to France and Britain’s deliveries of their own cruise missiles to Kiev, the Estonian prime minister said: “If the Ukrainians are not afraid of escalation because of this, then we shouldn’t be either.”
The complete interview with Kaja Kallas will be published on stern.de in the coming days.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
