ANP Dutch soldiers during an exercise in Lithuania last year
NOS News•today, 08:26•Changed today, 13:48
NATO countries such as Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic say that sending soldiers to Ukraine is not an option. They are responding to statements by French President Macron. After a summit with European government leaders in Paris yesterday, he said that he would not rule out sending ground troops.
“There is no unity,” Macron said. “But in the dynamics, nothing should be ruled out. We will do everything necessary so that Russia cannot win the war.”
Germany, Czech Republic, Poland and NATO
German Chancellor Scholz said last night that government leaders had a good discussion, but that the position remains the same: “No soldiers from European countries and NATO member states will go to Ukraine.”
Czech Prime Minister Fiala said support for Ukraine should continue to include military aid, plus humanitarian and economic support. “I don’t think we should do this any other way.”
“Poland has no plans to send soldiers to Ukraine,” Polish Prime Minister Tusk said. “I don’t think we should speculate now about circumstances that could change that.”
NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg, like the US, said that NATO has no plans to send soldiers to Ukraine.
AFPPresident Macron
The Kremlin has also responded. “The very fact that there is talk about sending troops is a very important new element,” Russian spokesman Peskov said.
Asked what such a move would mean for the likelihood of a direct conflict between Russia and NATO, he said: “In that case, we are no longer talking about the probability, but about the inevitability of it.”
Trial balloon
Defense expert Patrick Bolder of the Hague Center for Strategic Studies sees Macron’s statement as a test balloon. “It is clearly intended to show that whatever happens, Europe will continue to support Ukraine,” he said NOS Radio 1 News.
Bolder does not rule out that NATO troops will go to Ukraine if a truce has been agreed with Russia under which part of Ukraine remains occupied by the Russians.
“Then I could imagine that NATO troops will go there to guarantee the security of Ukraine, especially in the west. And that the Ukrainian troops will be further to the east.” Bolder considers it impossible that NATO troops will join the fight.
No German cruise missiles
Shortly before the summit in Paris, German Chancellor Scholz stopped making German Taurus cruise missiles available to Ukraine after persistent doubts. According to Scholz, these missiles can only be deployed with the help of German personnel. This would cause Germany to become directly involved in the war and Scholz does not want that.
Ukraine is facing a serious arms and ammunition shortage. This is partly because the Republicans in the American Congress have not yet agreed to a support package worth the equivalent of 55 billion euros.
The summit of European government leaders in Paris was intended to quickly provide Ukraine with more aid. Outgoing Prime Minister Rutte made an additional 100 million euros available on behalf of the Netherlands.
2024-02-27 12:21:36
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