Macron’s arrival in Romania, a European Union member since 2007 and a NATO member since 2004, will mark the beginning of a regional tour that includes a visit Wednesday to non-NATO Moldova. Both countries share long borders with Ukraine.
Macron's trip precedes the second round of French parliamentary elections set for 19 June and an EU Council summit, set for 23-24 June, the last one where France is heading the EU troika.
With his trip to Romania, and the inspection of French NATO troops, Macron has signaled his commitment to the struggle of Ukraine against Russia.
This after he came under fire because of his lengthy and repeated conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and, more recently, after expressing his belief that Russian leader Vladimir Putin must "not be humiliated".
He has also argued for giving Putin an exit option from what he called Putin's "historic and fundamental mistake" of invading Ukraine.
Opposition critics
However, Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the opposition coalition NUPES was quick to crticise Macron for this trip as well.
In an interview with Le Parisien daily, he reproached Macron's "contempt" for the second round of parliamentary elections.
"I note that for three days, Emmanuel Macron plans a trip outside France. So during three days there won't be a pilot in the Macronist political plane," he said, adding that the election campaign was "sedated" by the lack of debates which turned the exercise into an "administrative formality."
Macron is due to travel to Romania’s eastern port city of Constanta and visit the nearby Mihail Kogalniceanu air base, where he will meet with allied troops.
France has around 500 soldiers deployed in Romania and has been a key player in NATO’s bolstering of forces on the alliance’s eastern flank following Russia’s invasion on 24 Feb.
In May, France deployed an air defense system to Romania that NATO said “ could ensure protection to the forces operating within the area.”
On Wednesday morning, Macron will meet with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis at the air base for official talks in preparation for a European Council meeting in Brussels, as well as a key NATO Strategic Concept Summit in Madrid later this month.
French government spokesperson Olivia Grégoire called Tuesday’s visit “very important” as Macron is expected to address the consequences of the war in Ukraine, from the flows of refugees to the spike in energy prices and disrupted cereal markets.
He will also discuss Ukraine’s and Moldova’s demands to join the EU, ahead of a European summit next week, she said. France currently holds the presidency of the EU Council.
Macron will “underline the importance of the strength of the European project in these troubled moments, especially to face Russia," she said.
After Romania, Macron will head to Chisinau, Moldova’s capital, where he will meet President Maia Sandu.
Last month, Macron said he wanted the EU to give a "quick opinion" to Moldova's request for membership of the EU, as he hosted a meeting with Moldova's President Maia Sandu in Paris on Thursday.
It is unclear if Macron will pay a surprise visit to Kyiv as well.
Howitzers
In another sign that France is serious about helping NATO allies, Paris will sell 18 howitzers to Lithuania.
The Baltic State, European Union and NATO member, decided to inject an additional 300 million euros into its 2022 defence budget as the Ukraine war ramped up security fears.
The acquisition of French Caesar Markt II new generation artillery systems "will be the largest project the Lithuanian Armed Forces has ever had with France," according to Minister of National Defence Arvydas Anušauskas in a press release published by his ministry.
"The war against Ukraine has made it obvious that indirect fire capability is essential and therefore it is vital for us to provide it for the Lithuanian Armed Forces. We cannot afford to wait until the next war," the release reads.
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, which are all both NATO member and former Soviet Union republics, have come to Ukraine's defence with military hardware and humanitarian aid.
(With agencies)
