Ukraine Foreing Minister explains Macron's intentions regarding troops deployment to Ukraine
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba clarifies that President Emmanuel Macron has meant the possibility of training when mentioning the deployment of Western troops to Ukraine
He said this in an interview with La Stampa, RBC-Ukraine reports.
Kuleba stated that when Macron spoke about deploying troops to Ukraine, European leaders panicked. Kuleba explained that Macron simply meant there was a possibility of training the Ukrainian military directly in Ukraine, rather than abroad as it currently occurs.
According to the minister, Ukraine needs weapons and ammunition, but "has never asked for people and military personnel; we are proud of our soldiers."
He also suggested that in the event of Russia capturing Ukraine, Putin would attack other countries in Europe and Central Asia because he "is driven by expansionist goals."
Background
On February 26, around 20 European leaders gathered in Paris to discuss the threats posed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Following the conclusion of the conference, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that in the future, the deployment of Western ground forces should not be ruled out to counter Russian aggression.
Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico confirmed that some NATO and EU member countries are allegedly discussing the possibility of sending their troops to the territory of Ukraine after signing bilateral agreements with Kyiv.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and leaders of Alliance countries have stated that a collective decision regarding the deployment of troops to Ukraine has not been made, while in Russia, such a step has been labeled as a declaration of war.
On February 29, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas stated that Western leaders should not rule out the possibility of deploying ground troops to Ukraine.
On March 4, Macron stated that he would not be sending French troops to Ukraine in the near future, but he is opening debates on the matter. On March 5, Macron urged allies to "not be cowards" regarding Ukraine and to step up their efforts. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius responded to his call.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated that the discussion sparked by French President Emmanuel Macron's remarks about the deployment of Western troops to Ukraine will save Europe a lot of time in realizing that more needs to be done.
Macron, commenting on his proposed idea of sending Western troops to Ukraine, emphasized that France is resolute and ready to invest resources to achieve victory over Russia.
The left and right-wing French parties criticized President Emmanuel Macron's position regarding support for Ukraine, which he expressed in an interview on March 14th.
Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina has stated she supports the idea of French President Emmanuel Macron regarding the deployment of NATO troops to Ukraine for training.
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