Germany, Britain and other European countries said on Tuesday they did not plan to send ground troops to Ukraine after France hinted at the possibility, and the Kremlin warned yesterday that any such move would inevitably lead to conflict between Russia and NATO.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that Western allies should not rule out any option in order to prevent a Russian victory in Ukraine, although he stressed that there is no consensus at this stage.
"Today there was no consensus for the official sending of troops, but... nothing should be ruled out. We will do everything we have to so that Russia does not win," Macron told reporters after a hastily convened meeting of European leaders in Paris to discuss ways to strengthen support for Ukraine against the Russian invasion.
Macron, as Politiko reports, confirmed that the topic of Western soldiers in Ukraine was discussed in a "very direct and open" manner, adding that "everything is possible, if it is useful."
The subject was first brought up in public by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who said that a document on the eve of the summit indicated that "a number of NATO and EU countries are considering sending troops to Ukraine on a bilateral basis".
Macron's comments followed the progress on the front of Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces in the east of Ukraine and the growing shortage of ammunition and personnel on the Ukrainian side, the Reuters agency points out.
However, Germany, Britain, Spain, Poland and the Czech Republic yesterday distanced themselves from any proposal to send ground forces to the Ukraine war, now in its third year.
"There will be no ground troops, there will be no soldiers from European or NATO countries on Ukrainian territory," said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistotrius was equally categorical. "Sending soldiers is not an option for Germany," he told reporters during a visit to Vienna.
Macron confirmed that the topic of Western soldiers in Ukraine was discussed in a "very direct and open" manner, adding that "everything is possible, if it is useful."
"I am glad if France is considering how to support Ukraine more strongly, but if I can suggest something, then it is to send additional weapons," said German Economy Minister Robert Habeck. "Do what is in your power now and give Ukraine ammunition and tanks that can be sent immediately."
After the talks on Monday, Soltz said that European leaders are now acting willingly to acquire weapons from outside Europe as a way to speed up military aid to Ukraine.
Germany has been the second-largest supplier of military aid to Kiev since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, but is extremely cautious about moves that would draw the NATO alliance into direct conflict with Russia.
The Kremlin immediately issued a warning yesterday indicating the high stakes.
"The very fact that we are discussing the possibility of sending certain contingents to Ukraine from NATO countries is a very important new element," said spokesman Dmitry Peskov when asked by journalists about Macron's statement.
Commenting on the risks if NATO members send soldiers to fight in Ukraine, Peskov said: "In that case, we would be talking not about the possibility, but about the inevitability (of direct conflict).
He said that Western countries should consider whether such a scenario is really in their interest.
Russia and the United States, the great power behind NATO, have the largest arsenal of nuclear weapons in the world, Reuters reminds. President Joe Biden has warned that a conflict between Russia and NATO could lead to World War III.
The United States will not send troops to Ukraine, the White House announced yesterday.
"President Biden has been clear that the US will not send troops to fight in Ukraine," National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said.
Britain is also not planning a large-scale deployment of soldiers in Ukraine, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesman said yesterday, stressing that they already have a small number of people in that country providing support to Kiev's forces.
Spain wants to limit aid by sending more weapons and other materials to Kiev, government spokesman Pilar Alegria said.
Similarly, the prime ministers of Poland and the Czech Republic, strong supporters of Ukraine, said yesterday at a press conference in Prague that they want to send more ammunition to Kiev, but that they do not plan to send soldiers.
This month, the Czechs announced plans, with the support of Canada, Denmark and other countries, to finance the rapid purchase of hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition from third countries to send to Ukraine.
Macron said that Paris will "participate in this initiative", adding: "We are completely open to it, and the only goal is to effectively help the Ukrainians".
For France, as the Brussels portal points out, this represents a significant change of attitude. Paris has previously argued that the hasty purchase of arms outside the EU would undermine the motivation of European manufacturers at a time when the continent should rely more on its own capacities.
A senior Ukrainian official welcomed Macron's decision to raise the possibility of sending Western troops to his country.
"This primarily shows the absolute resolution of the risk that a militaristic, aggressive Russia represents for Europe," said Mihailo Podoljak, adviser to the Ukrainian president, in a written comment on Macron's announcement.
On the eve of the summit in Paris, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky reminded that the EU has largely failed to fulfill its promises regarding arms deliveries. "Of the million missiles promised to us by the European Union, not even 50 percent arrived, but only 30. Unfortunately," Zelenski said.
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