Weeks ago, Macron himself commented on possible outcomes of the war Russia initiated over two years ago, stating that the presence of Alliance soldiers in Kyiv is “not ruled out”.
The Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Radek Sikorski, asserted that the idea of deploying NATO troops to Ukraine is “not unthinkable” and, conversely, expressed gratitude to French President Emmanuel Macron for not ruling out this possibility.
Weeks ago, Macron himself commented on possible outcomes of the war Russia initiated over two years ago, stating that the presence of Alliance soldiers in Kyiv is “not ruled out.”
These remarks caused considerable discomfort among block members, who have supported sending arms and money to Volodymyr Zelensky’s nation but oppose deploying their officers on the ground.
Among them was the Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk, who quickly clarified that his country “does not plan to send its troops to Ukrainian territory.”
NATO itself sought to distance from the statements of the Élysée Palace, which later tried to justify them by mentioning that they referred to not allowing a Russian victory. Sources from the bloc insisted, “NATO and its allies are providing unprecedented military support to Ukraine – we have been doing so since 2014 and have intensified it since Russia’s large-scale invasion – but there are no plans for NATO combat troops on the ground in Ukraine.”
“Ukraine has the right to self-defense, and we have the right to support them. That is what NATO allies are doing and will continue to do,” concluded the statement.
However, on Friday, Sikorski surprised with his remarks while attempting to downplay the situation to avoid a scandal. “It’s about making Putin afraid, not us being afraid of Putin,” he explained.
As expected, the Kremlin opposed this proposal and warned that if NATO decides to move in this direction, it would lead to an inevitable direct confrontation, including nuclear threats worldwide.
The Alliance countries must “consider” whether the conflict with Russia “corresponds to their interests and the interests of their peoples,” added the Russian presidential spokesperson, Dmitri Peskov.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Army stated on Saturday that Russian forces are increasing pressure on their positions in the east of the country, attempting to weaken them and gain more territory.
“At the Bakhmut front, the enemy is constantly increasing its efforts to carry out offensive actions, introducing reserves into the battle, continuously replenishing the losses we inflict on their units,” said the commander of the tactical group of the 4th operational brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine. “It is obvious that the enemy’s further task will be to reach the locality of Chasiv Yar. They are trying to assault, launch frontal attacks, and surround the locality,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, according to Ukraine, soldiers deployed on the eastern bank of the Dnieper in Kherson maintain their positions and attempt to advance on the southern front. “In the South Defense Forces’ operational zone, daily counter-battery fights continue. Our soldiers hold their positions and take measures to reinforce and expand the bridgehead on the left bank of the Dnieper,” reads a statement.
