The French-led campaign for deeper NATO involvement inside Ukrainian borders is gaining traction among European allies, according to a spokesperson for President Emmanuel Macron‘s political party. The proposal includes deploying NATO forces in Ukraine in non-combat roles to counter Russian aggression.
Benjamin Haddad, a member of parliament for Macron‘s Renaissance party and an influential voice in French foreign policy, discussed the initiative at the Lennart Meri Conference in Estonia last week. Haddad emphasized the necessity for NATO and the European Union to “turn the tables” on Russian President Vladimir Putin after more than two years of full-scale conflict.
Haddad noted increasing support from European nations, particularly those bordering Russia. Figures such as Czech President Petr Pavel, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis have expressed openness to discussing the proposal. “These countries are on the front line and have long distrusted Paris and Berlin,” Haddad remarked, highlighting the significance of their support.
The initiative aims to alleviate pressure on Ukrainian forces currently stationed at the border with Belarus. Haddad suggested the deployment of Western troops along the frontier as a “tripwire,” similar to existing NATO deployments in the Baltic states and Poland. He stressed that such moves would require coordinated international efforts.
Russia has consistently warned against Western intervention in Ukraine, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov describing NATO involvement as a provocation that could escalate the conflict. Russian forces have recently intensified their offensive, pushing Ukrainian troops back in the northeastern regions of Kharkov and Sumy.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to demand that Western allies step up their support for Kiev. He criticized the international community’s fear of escalation, claiming that the ongoing loss of Ukrainian lives is itself a form of escalation.
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