Statements by French President Emmanuel Macron about the potential deployment of troops to Ukraine have angered US officials wary of a confrontation with Russia, Bloomberg said, citing a senior official, Paralel.Az reports.

Since the UK is no longer part of the EU, and with the German government divided, Macron has become Europe’s virtual figurehead on foreign policy issues, but not all of Paris’ allies are convinced that he is the best champion of their interests, the news agency notes. According to it, his remarks on the need for a Western military presence in Ukraine have angered US officials. They noted privately that such a move could potentially lead to the risk of a direct clash with Russia.

As some officials stressed, Macron’s statements were not particularly "smart from the standpoint of operational security," because some countries have already sent their military personnel to Ukraine on a clandestine basis, Bloomberg pointed out.

After a conference on Ukraine in Paris in February, Macron did not unequivocally rule out sending Western ground troops to the zone of the special military operation. The French leader also claimed that the West would "do what is needed" to prevent Russia’s victory in the conflict.