Allies Reject French President’s Proposal to Deploy NATO Troops to Ukrainian Front
Political and military leaders throughout the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have expressed disagreement with French President Emmanuel Macron’s suggestion of sending alliance troops to join the conflict in Ukraine.
Mr. Macron raised the possibility of deploying NATO troops into Ukraine during their two-year struggle against Russian invasion forces. However, other leaders quickly dismissed this idea.
“There’s no current consensus to officially send troops on the ground. But in terms of possibilities, nothing is off the table,” Mr. Macron stated at a press conference on Monday.
By Tuesday, leaders from the UK, Germany, Poland, and Italy had all conveyed that they would not be offering their troops for such a mission.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated that sending troops to Ukraine was not an option for Germany. Meanwhile, Economy Minister Robert Habeck suggested providing more weapons and ammunition instead.
Despite some initial hesitation, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico hinted at the potential for certain NATO members to get more involved in the conflict. However, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg emphasized that there were no plans for combat troops on Ukrainian soil.
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Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that his country does not intend to send troops to Ukraine.
“There has been full unity among all Allies in the support of Kyiv since Russia’s aggression two years ago,” stated Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s office on Tuesday.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also refuted the notion of the alliance directly participating in the Ukrainian conflict.
Russian government officials have warned against deploying NATO troops to Ukraine, emphasizing the potential for wider conflict if NATO forces engage Russian troops.
NATO Deployments to Ukraine Would Make Wider War Inevitable: Kremlin
The Russian government has been wary of NATO’s involvement in Ukraine and has cautioned against potential escalation.
President Biden is advocating for additional aid to Ukraine, but its approval is pending in Congress.
Biden Urging Congress to Approve New Ukraine Aid
President Biden is expected to meet with key congressional leaders to push for the passage of new aid to Ukraine amidst a looming ammunition shortage.
The US Senate has already passed a considerable spending bill that includes funding for Ukraine, but it awaits approval from the House of Representatives.
Biden’s administration is determined to secure bipartisan support for the aid package and advance the discussion within Congress.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this article.
