Italy rejects France and Poland's idea of sending troops into Ukraine

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto (Photo: Reuters).

"France and Poland cannot speak on behalf of NATO. From the beginning, NATO has not officially or voluntarily intervened in the conflict in Ukraine. Sending troops to Ukraine is a unilateral escalation and will destroy the opportunity to resolve the conflict through diplomatic means," Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto told local media on March 10.

The comment was made to refute French President Emmanuel Macron's idea of sending troops into Ukraine.

Late last month, after a meeting of Western leaders, Mr Macron said they had discussed the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine, but had not reached a consensus. However, he said the West “does not rule out” sending military forces to Kiev.

Mr Macron's remarks immediately attracted the attention of Western allies and Russia.

While most countries, including the US, UK and Germany, oppose the Western military presence in Ukraine, some officials appear to agree with Mr Macron's views.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on March 8 that the presence of NATO forces in Ukraine "is not unthinkable" and he supported President Macron's idea.

"The West should respond to Russia's military activity in Ukraine with an asymmetric escalation. From this point of view, the presence of NATO forces in Ukraine is not unthinkable," the Polish diplomat said.

However, Polish Defense Minister Wladysław Kosiniak-Kamysz affirmed that the country will not send troops to Ukraine. "Both the President, the Prime Minister and I confirm this," he emphasized.

On the Ukrainian side, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba believes that Mr. Macron's statement has sparked a debate and that it has helped Europe realize that they need to do more to support Kiev.

He emphasized that supporting Ukraine is "not charity" but to protect the lives of European people and ensure security for Europe.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/italy-phan-bac-phap-va-ba-lan-ve-y-tuong-dua-quan-vao-ukraine-20240310195408035.htm