Czech, Polish PMs rule out sending their own ground forces to back Ukraine, despite recent talks

Prague and Warsaw are not considering sending their troops to Ukraine, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and his Polish colleague Donald Tusk said, commenting on French President Emmanuel Macron’s suggestion of potential NATO troop deployment there, Reuters reported on Feb. 27.

“I am convinced that we should develop the paths of support that we embarked on after Russia’s aggression,” Fiala said.

“I believe we do not need to open some other methods or ways.”

Tusk also supported the position of his Czech counterpart.

“Poland has no plans to send its troops to the territory of Ukraine,” he said.

Read also: In a first from Ukraine’s NATO allies, France raises prospect of Western troop deployment to Ukraine

Possible deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine: What is known

Before the summit of European leaders in Paris on Feb. 26, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico stated that several NATO and EU member states were discussing the possibility of sending their military to Ukraine based on bilateral agreements. Slovakia will not take such a step but will respect the decisions of countries that agreed to send troops to Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron later stated that sending Western troops to Ukraine in the future could not be ruled out. However, there is currently no agreement on this issue.

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal echoed Macron’s statement regarding the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine, emphasizing that Paris would not accept a situation where Russia wins the war.

Read also: Top Polish defense official dismisses prospect of sending forces to Ukraine, as no such plans exist

Polish President Andrzej Duda mentioned that representatives of 28 countries actively discussed the idea of sending troops to Ukraine during a meeting in Paris, but it did not generate much enthusiasm. This issue was the subject of heated debate

Poland’s Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk stated that his country “has no project or idea” to send its military to Ukraine.

The issue of sending troops to Ukraine is not relevant for Sweden, according to Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg clarified that the Alliance has no plans to send its military to Ukraine, highlighting that allies have been providing unprecedented assistance to Ukraine since 2014.

Read also: No ‘enthusiasm’ among European leaders to send troops to Ukraine, Polish president says

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also previously opposed sending NATO troops to Ukraine.

Regarding Macron’s words, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned of a direct conflict between Russia and NATO if Western countries decide to send their military to Ukraine.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine