Updated March 5. An eariler version of the report contained a quote in paragraph 4 that was later removed from the source. We apologise to our readers for this error.

French President Emmanuel Macron has once again commented on his controversial statement about deploying Western troops in Ukraine.

Macron recalled in an interview with Czech portals Novinky and Pravo.cz that he mentioned sending troops in response to a question asked at a meeting with representatives from over 20 states in Paris, only to say that "nothing can be ruled out".

"Now is the time for Europeans to ask themselves whether their stated objectives are in line with their current strategy. In my view, we need a wake-up call, a strategic awakening of our democracies, because Russia's impunity threatens the security of the European continent and its values," he added.

According to the French president, the meeting participants agreed on five areas where they are willing to do more: cyber defence, joint production of military equipment in Ukraine, the security of countries directly threatened by Russia's offensive in Ukraine, particularly Moldova, the opportunity to assist Ukraine on its border with Belarus, and demining operations.

"Furthermore, I have always clearly defined our framework: we are not fighting against the Russian people and refuse to engage in the logic of escalation," Macron emphasised.

President Emmanuel Macron has not ruled out the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine in the future after a meeting in Paris last week, emphasising that there is currently no consensus among allies in this regard.

At the same time, the French president's statements provoked a negative response from allied governments, whose leaders quickly assured that no troops would be sent to Ukraine.

While most NATO countries, including major players such as Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States, have ruled out sending troops to Ukraine, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis expressed gratitude to Macron for initiating the debate.

Moscow reacted angrily to Macron's remarks, warning that the deployment of Western troops in Ukraine would inevitably lead to a conflict between Russia and NATO.