"First of all, I think it's a good thing that these discussions and meetings are taking place," Terras told ERR on Tuesday. "In today's Europe, and especially among the leaders of major powers, you can clearly sense that they realize they can't go on like this and that they have to find some sort of new key for how to liberate Ukraine."

According to the Terras, Macron's statement was motivated in part by the fact that he is trying to score political points off of Scholz' seemingly more cautious approach.

"We have to consider the possibility that Macron said this because he knows that Scholz definitely cannot sell his constituents on it and that Scholz is opposed to it," he said regarding the German chancellor. "This means that in this context, Macron looks like a white knight whom Scholz won't allow to do anything good for Ukraine."

At the same time, Terras continued, the Germans have in reality contributed to substantial military capability, making it the second largest supporter of Ukraine, even as France has only supported Ukraine in words and not in actions.

"And so I don't really believe this talk," he said.

He did, however, think it would be entirely justified to consider how Western powers could take over from the Ukrainian army some sort of tasks that take place in the rear, freeing them up to concentrate on fighting on the front instead.

"I think this should be discussed," the retired general and former EDF chief acknowledged. "But I don't believe that this Macron-Sholz tiff will lead to this result. Perhaps it's possible that this could lead to long-range weapons being able to be used to attack military targets on Russian territory, which France and Germany have also currently banned."

He explained that Western intervention could theoretically strengthen Ukrainian airspace as well as its maritime space on the Black Sea, which would help restrict Russia's freedom of movement and thus in turn the use of missiles to attack Ukraine.

Russia doesn't have the capacity to act against Western military power, he continued, and Western air operations would without a doubt force Russia to retreat.

"In my opinion, we should very clearly make a distinction here, intervene," Terras said. "And if not with NATO, then countries with the capacity to do so, as this would cause Russia to halt this operation, because Russia doesn't currently have the power to act against real military force right now. As we can see, the Russian's can't even manage to take Avdiivka."

The Estonian MEP acknowledged that Russia's arsenal does in fact include nuclear threats, however he is positive that if Russia were to use nuclear weapons, China would turn on them as well.

"Putin can't afford that," he stressed.

Journalist Joakim Klementi asked Terras whether Estonia should also potentially send its troops to Ukraine together with the West, if that's what should end up being decided. He likewise asked whether doing so could prompt Russian attacks on Estonia.

"Estonia's participation or nonparticipation doesn't change anything about the fact that Estonia is vulnerable and, as a border country, definitely within a danger zone," the former EDF chief replied. "But if we start choosing whether or not to support Ukraine, then that is a display of weakness."

Terras stressed that whether to send Western troops into Ukraine isn't currently being decided.

"For now this is an outburst by Macron," he explained. "But should this really end up on the agenda, then Estonia will have to seriously consider it, and I believe that Estonia must be a part of all coalitions working for Ukrainian freedom."

He underscored, however, that Western powers' hard intervention in Ukraine will only be possible if the U.S. likewise gets involved.

"It will only be possible if the United States is in it together with us," Terras said.

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