Poland and Germany declare they will not be deploying troops to Ukraine as the Kremlin threatens a larger conflict.
Heavyweights in the European military, Germany and Poland, declared on Tuesday that they would not be sending soldiers to Ukraine in response to rumors that other Western nations might be thinking of doing so as the conflict with Russia approaches its third year.
Following the confirmation by other leaders of central Europe that their countries will not be sending soldiers to Ukraine, the president of NATO also stated that the U.S.-led military alliance has no intentions to send troops there.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin issued a warning that if NATO deploys combat troops, there would inevitably be a direct confrontation between Russia and the alliance. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, "In this case, we need to talk about the inevitability (of conflict), not about probability."
Moscow issued its warning the day after French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking at a conference attended by high-ranking representatives of more than 20 Western countries that support Ukraine, stated that the deployment of Western ground forces should not be "ruled out" in the future.
Olaf Scholz, the chancellor of Germany, seems to see the events in Paris differently. "There will be no ground troops, no soldiers on Ukrainian soil who are sent there by European states or NATO states," he said the participants had decided.
"Soldiers operating in our countries also are not actively participating in the war themselves," according to Scholz, there was also general agreement.
Following intense criticism from French opposition MPs over Macron's proposal that ground forces could be considered, the French president's administration attempted to elucidate his remarks on Tuesday as Macron appeared to be growing more and more alone.
At the summit, there was debate but no agreement, according to French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu, on conducting military training and demining activities in Ukraine away from the front lines.
The minister clarified, "It's not sending troops to wage war against Russia."
It has been forbidden to send soldiers, especially as NATO tries to keep itself out of a larger conflict with Russia, which possesses nuclear weapons. There is nothing stopping any of the 31 NATO countries from participating individually or in groups in such an endeavor, but the alliance as a whole would only do so with their consent.
The Associated Press was informed by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that "NATO allies are providing unprecedented support to Ukraine." Since 2014, we have taken action in response to the full-scale invasion. However, there are no intentions to place combat forces from NATO in Ukraine.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk declared, "Poland does not plan to send its troops to Ukraine," during a meeting in Prague on Tuesday. The Czech Republic's prime minister, Petr Fiala, emphasized that his nation "certainly doesn't want to send its soldiers."
The prime minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, stated that while his government does not intend to suggest a deployment, several nations were considering making bilateral agreements to supply troops to assist Ukraine in repelling the Russian invasion.
Fico did not specify which nations will send soldiers to Ukraine or what their objectives would be there. Macron refrained from mentioning any nations as well, stating that he wished to preserve "strategic ambiguity" and prevent the West from siding with Russia.
NATO as an organization only offers non-lethal assistance and support to Ukraine, such as medical supplies, uniforms, and winter gear; nonetheless, certain countries unilaterally or jointly transfer arms and ammunition.
The kind of transportation and logistical capacity that only nations like the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and maybe Italy, Poland, or Spain could marshal would be necessary for the choice to send soldiers and keep them deployed for an extended period of time.
Stoltenberg told the AP that "this is a war of aggression by Russia against Ukraine, blatantly violating international law," even if he disapproved of NATO military action. Naturally, Ukraine has the right to self-defense under international law, and we have the right to assist them in defending that right.
As the Ukrainian government tries to bolster support from the West, the summit in Paris took place just after bilateral security deals worth ten years were inked by France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
European countries fear that if Congress continues to block help to Ukraine, the United States may withdraw its support. Additionally, they fear that Donald Trump, the former president, may retake office and alter American policy on the continent.
According to those present at the meeting, a number of European nations, notably France, announced their support on Monday for the Czech Republic's request to purchase ammunition shells for Ukraine outside of the EU. According to Macron, a brand-new alliance will be formed to supply medium- and long-range missiles.
During a recent interview, Stoltenberg has no objection to Ukraine using Western weapons to attack Russian targets. Some nations have imposed limitations on the usage of the equipment they donate, requesting that it only be utilized within Ukraine.
"It is up to each and every ally to determine whether their delivery is subject to any limitations," Stoltenberg stated in an interview with Radio Free Europe. However, he added, "hitting legitimate military targets, Russian military targets, outside Ukraine, is also part of Ukraine's right to self-defense."
