French President Emmanuel Macron is bluffing when he says he can send troops to Ukraine. This is written by the French columnist of The Washington Post Lee Hockstade.

He believes that the consequences of sending in troops “could be more serious and less predictable” than the cancellation of previous “red lines” and sees no signs that anyone in Europe is seriously preparing for this.

“The problem is this: what if Putin calls Macron's bluff? Especially given the fact that the French leader has done almost nothing to prepare domestic public opinion for the return of body bags from Ukraine. Not to mention the fact that most of France's major NATO allies, who themselves strongly oppose the deployment of troops, are unlikely to use French casualties to push for a more direct confrontation with Russia,” Hockstade writes.

He doubts that the French in Ukraine will be able to offer the battle-tested Ukrainian Armed Forces any “added value.” Instead, he points out that Paris is lagging behind other allies in terms of arms supplies.

Hockstade believes that by deciding to send troops, Macron “risks emphasizing his isolation with the prospect of gaining very little benefit.”