Concerns of NATO countries
Bloomberg yesterday quoted an official familiar with the discussions between the allies as saying that French President Emmanuel Macron's failure to rule out sending Western ground troops to Ukraine angered some US officials because they believed that such a move could risk conflict with Russia. Previously, US National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson emphasized that President Joe Biden "made it clear that the US will not send troops to fight in Ukraine".
Soldiers participate in a recent NATO exercise in Finland
President Macron on February 26.2 first mentioned the possibility that Western infantry would be deployed to Ukraine and immediately faced a harsh reaction from Germany and many other European countries. German Deputy Prime Minister Robert Habeck announced on February 27.2: "German soldiers will not go to Ukraine," according to Reuters. Similarly, in an interview with the newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung On March 9.3, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said he opposed sending Western troops to Ukraine, even on training missions.
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However, on March 15.3, Mr. Macron still said that the West sending ground troops to Ukraine could happen "at some point" in the future. At first, Latvia praised Mr. Macron's idea. However, during a joint press conference with German Prime Minister Olaf Scholz in Berlin on March 27.3, Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina said: "Talking about sending troops, I think we in NATO are not ready to do this." Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto also recently warned that rhetoric about the possibility of sending NATO troops to Ukraine brings the risk of World War 3 closer. Mr. Szijjarto emphasized that Hungary will call on all partners and allies to refrain from any statements and actions that could increase the risk of World War 3.
Russia issued a warning
Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 29.2 warned Western countries that there is a real risk of nuclear war if they send troops to Ukraine. Mr. Putin then said that Moscow would consider Western soldiers “aggressors” if they were deployed to Ukraine and would respond accordingly, according to RT.
On the Ukrainian side, Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba responded to President Macron's statement: "We are happy to see President Macron developing in that direction." In an interview with Politico On March 25.3, Mr. Kuleba emphasized that Kyiv had never asked for “European combat troops to enter on the ground,” but European Union leaders need to get used to the idea that “that day may come.”
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President Putin said on March 27.3 that discussions about the risk of Russia attacking NATO countries in Eastern Europe if Ukraine is defeated are "nonsense", according to RT. Meanwhile, RIA News Agency yesterday quoted the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying that NATO's activities in Eastern Europe and the Black Sea are aimed at preparing their allies for a conflict with Moscow.
Mr. Putin vowed to destroy F-16 aircraft in Ukraine
Russian President Putin said on March 27.3 that if Western countries provide F-16 to Ukraine, this fighter will not change the situation on the battlefield, according to TASS. “And we will destroy that plane like we destroyed tanks, armored vehicles and other equipment,” Putin told military pilots in Moscow.
Mr. Putin warned that if F-16s “are used from airports in third countries, they will become our legal targets, regardless of where they are.” He also said that the F-16 can carry nuclear weapons and Moscow will have to take that into account in its military plans. Putin issued the new warning hours after Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba said that F-16s would arrive in Ukraine in the coming months.
