NATO countries are not united when it comes to sending troops to Ukraine, but this scenario cannot be ruled out, Konstantin Gavrilov, head of the Russian delegation at the Vienna talks on military security and arms control, told the state news agency TASS on May 28.
“It is important to understand: this is not a NATO consensus position, but in general we cannot exclude that this scenario will come true,” the Russian diplomat said.
“A clash between the Russian and NATO militaries is a path to a major tragedy that could affect all of humanity. They should realize that they will not be able to cross this escalation line unnoticed,” Gavrilov said.
According to the Russian diplomat, against the backdrop of Kiev's military failures and the advances of the Russian Armed Forces, NATO countries increasingly realize that it is impossible to inflict a “strategic defeat” on Russia.
“In this context, we consider increasingly active discussions on NATO’s deployment on the ground in Ukraine as a futile attempt to put pressure on Russia, drag us into an arms race, and force us to abandon achieving the goals of the special military operation,” Gavrilov added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a joint press conference with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Madrid, May 27, 2024. Photo: AFP/Le Monde
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder meet Belgian F-16 pilots, May 28, 2024. Photo: AFP/RT
The Russian diplomat's comments came as a number of NATO member states in Europe have signed agreements to provide military assistance to Ukraine.
During a whirlwind tour of several NATO and EU member states on May 27-28, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky received two military aid commitments worth $1 billion each by 2024 from Spain and Belgium.
Notably, the agreement with Belgium also specifies the exact number of US-made F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets to be delivered to Ukraine: 30 over the next four years.
After visiting the Spanish capital Madrid and Brussels, Belgium, Mr. Zelensky also stopped in Lisbon, Portugal, and signed a bilateral security agreement with representatives of the host country.
Portugal is one of the poorest countries in Western Europe and has a smaller army than those of leading EU members. Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said his country was sending an additional $137 million in military and financial aid to Kiev as part of a broader cooperation plan.
Bilateral aid is needed as the 27-nation bloc is once again struggling to overcome Hungary's objections to the EU providing billions of euros in military aid to Kiev.
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a press conference in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, May 28, 2024. Photo: Sputnik
In addition to the aid issue, the proposal to allow Ukraine to use long-range weapons provided by the West to attack Russian territory has also become a controversial and increasingly heated topic in Europe.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on May 28 that European NATO members were “playing with fire” with the proposal, which he said could cause global conflict.
The use of such weapons would rely on Western intelligence data and involve NATO military personnel, Mr Putin said, warning the alliance that it should be aware of the possible consequences .
Minh Duc (According to TASS, AP)
Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/nga-khong-loai-tru-kich-ban-nato-gui-quan-toi-ukraine-a665866.html
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