French President Emmanuel Macron warns Russian victory in Ukraine will 'reduce Europe's credibility to zero' as 'continent's security is at stake' - and refuses to rule out deployment of Western troops

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that a Russian victory in Ukraine 'would reduce Europe's credibility to zero' and refuses to rule out deploying troops.

Speaking on French TV, Macron also said that the continent's security was 'at stake' in the conflict which he said 'is existential for our Europe and for France'. 

Macron's broadcast went out on French TV this evening about how to further support Ukraine, after drawing pushback from European leaders last month when he said sending Western ground troops shouldn't be ruled out.

In the TV interview Macron was asked about the prospect of sending Western troops to Ukraine.

He said: 'We're not in that situation today.

'All these options are possible.'

Macron spoke on TV about the prospect of sending troops to Ukraine despite critics opposing

Macron said that responsibility for prompting such a move would lie with Moscow - 'It wouldn't be us' - and said France would not lead an offensive into Ukraine - but he also said 'Today, to have peace in Ukraine, we must not be weak.'

This comes as just earlier today, Britain launched a major operation to identify Russian military cyberhackers who targeted the UK Defense Secretary's RAF aircraft.

Just hours after the Kremlin's Electronic Warfare (EW) experts jammed signals on Grant Shapps' jet, the UK and her allies struck back.

The attack has increased fears of Russian aggression on the West. 

The president was due to be meeting other European leaders tomorrow but they are far more hesitant to offer devout support to Ukraine.

One of these is German Chancellor Olaf Scholz Scholz who joined with Macron in a previous Paris press conference on the war.

Scholz contradicted Macron, saying participants had agreed there will be 'no ground troops' on Ukrainian soil sent by European states.

French officials later sought to clarify Macron's remarks and tamp down the backlash, while insisting on the need to send a clear signal to Russia that it cannot win in Ukraine. 

Speaking on Tuesday at the National Assembly, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said Macron's message 'has been very clear: We will not abandon Ukraine and we are not ruling out any option on principle.'

France is not 'waging war against Russia' and 'rejects any escalation,' Attal said, and he added: 'We don't set ourselves limits against Russia, which doesn't set any (limits) for itself.'

This comes after the French parliament debated the country's Ukraine strategy this week.

The war has been raging now for over two years but many Western leaders are reluctant to get too involved for fear of a retaliation from Russia. Soldiers seen here when based in Adiivka

Both the National Assembly and the Senate approved in symbolic votes the ten-year security agreement signed last month between Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Macron's comments were said to have been met with outcry by other Western leaders, who , despite their support for Ukraine, are highly cautious of aggravating Russia.

The Kremlin has made repeated threats over the last few months to attack the West if they get too involved.

Last month, it threatened to fire nuclear missiles on London, Washington, Berlin and Kyiv if Russia is forced to give up the Ukrainian territory it has invaded.

Dmitry Medvedev - a close Putin ally who served as president from 2008 to 2012 - said if a military defeat led to a return to the 1991 frontiers, when the Soviet Union collapsed, Moscow would unleash Armageddon.

Ukraine is still asking Western nations for help in the war. Seen here soldiers in Donetsk

A military tank driving through Donbas seen here - Ukraine is calling on Western help

Macron said: 'Today, to have peace in Ukraine, we must not be weak.' Seen here with Zelensky

Putin has made warning after warning to the West that if they intervene

'Attempts to return Russia to the borders of 1991 will lead to only one thing,' he said. 'Towards a global war with Western countries using the entire strategic arsenal of our state. In Kyiv, Berlin, London, Washington.'

Hypersonic nuclear missiles would also strike 'all other beautiful historical places that have long been included in the flight targets of our nuclear triad'.

He added: 'Will we have the courage to do this if the disappearance of a thousand-year-old country, our great Motherland, is at stake, and the sacrifices made by the people of Russia over the centuries will be in vain? The answer is obvious.'