French President Emmanuel Macron has “infuriated the Germans” after suggesting NATO troops could be sent to Ukraine, an EU insider has claimed.
The row comes over how respective EU members are reimbursed for military aid sent to Ukraine.
EU countries fund a separate programme outside of the EU budget – The European Peace Facility (EPF).
France is arguing that the EPF only sends funds to EU member states and Norway as Macron wants to see the funds invested back into European defence.
But other countries want more flexibility.
READ MORE: Macron ‘dangerously’ close to escalating war with Russia
Germany funds about a quarter of the EPF, and as a result believes it should not have to top up any more cash for EU defence spending.
Macron also clashed with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz this week after the French President suggested NATO troops could be sent to Ukraine, despite Russian warnings that this would lead to direct conflict.
Scholz said in response: “What was agreed from the beginning among ourselves and with each other also applies to the future, namely that there will be no soldiers on Ukrainian soil sent there by European states or Nato states.
He added: “No German soldiers on Ukrainian land and no participation of German soldiers. This explicitly includes preventing an escalation into a war between Nato and Russia.”
The Financial Times reported that Germany is not happy with France’s smaller contributions to Ukraine’s military aid.
The outlet quoted a “frustrated EU diplomat” who said: “Macron’s ‘troops’ stunt was about portraying him as a staunch defender of Kyiv and distracting from the money. It has infuriated the Germans.”
The British Government has also turned up its nose at Macron’s suggestion of NATO troops being sent to Ukraine.
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told The Telegraph: “Beyond the small number of personnel in-country supporting the armed forces, we do not have any plans to make large-scale deployments.”
Tobias Ellwood, the former chairman of the Commons Defence Committee, said: “The idea that you put boots on the ground, which is so totemic and so symbolic, but is completely unnecessary rattling of Putin when there are other ways to test his long-term commitment to seeing this through.”
