Macron's 'not on the frontline… just very, very close' scheme 

(Adding: BREAKING: "Israel has received the green light from the US administration to take action in Lebanon." - Al-Jadeed, Lebanese outlet, citing unnamed diplomatic sources.

Israeli forces launch flares over the town of Markaba, southern Lebanon.)

France: Emmanuel Macron is back with another creative interpretation of “we’re not intervening, but we’re also intervening” in Ukraine.

🔴 Speaking to RTL, he insisted that France and its partners never intended to be on the frontline in Ukraine — of course not! Instead, they’ll just be setting up “deterrence forces” in Kiev and Odessa. Totally different.

🔴 Macron says troops from France, the UK, and Turkey could be stationed on “reserve sites” once a peace deal is signed, performing training and security tasks. In no way would this be NATO, he asserts - just a friendly “coalition of the willing.”

🔴 He also floated the notion of joint air-security units based in nearby countries, ‘collaborating’ with Ukraine’s air force. Close enough to matter, but far enough for Macron to keep saying he’s not really sending troops.