Stoltenberg: NATO has no plans to send troops to Ukraine
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated that the Alliance does not have plans to deploy troops to Ukraine. He emphasised that individual decisions made by specific member countries do not necessitate unanimous support from all member nations. Source: Stoltenberg in a comment to Associated Press, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Stoltenberg stated, "NATO allies are providing unprecedented support to Ukraine. We have done that since 2014 and stepped up after the full-scale invasion. But there are no plans for NATO combat troops on the ground in Ukraine."
Advertisement:Stoltenberg also stated that "this is a war of aggression by Russia against Ukraine, blatantly violating international law."
"According to international law, Ukraine of course has the right to self-defence, and we have the right to support them in upholding that right," Stoltenberg added. NATO, as an alliance, provides Ukraine with only non-lethal assistance and support, such as medicines, equipment, and winter gear. However, Alliance members send weapons and ammunition on a bilateral or group basis.
Any decision to deploy troops on behalf of NATO would require unanimous support from all member countries, while individual decisions by specific countries would not require such consensus.
Background:
- On the eve of his trip to Paris on 26 February, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico stated that some countries are considering whether it is worth entering into bilateral agreements to send troops to Ukraine to help repel the Russian invasion.
- French President Emmanuel Macron has not ruled out the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine in the future after a meeting in Paris on Monday, emphasising that there is currently no consensus among allies.
- After Macron's statement, Czechia, Poland, and Sweden stated that they are not considering the idea of sending their troops to Ukraine.
- Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for the Russian president, stated that the presence of NATO troops on the territory of Ukraine would lead to a direct conflict between the Alliance and the Russian Federation, escalating the situation.
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