'No One in Europe' Planning to Send Troops to Ukraine - Czech Republic's Prime Minister
01.03.2024 10:04
Photo: KENZO TRIBOUILLARD
After a Paris-hosted conference on Ukraine on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron said Western leaders had discussed the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine and no consensus had been reached, but nothing could be ruled out, and they would do everything to stop Russia from winning.
"No one in Europe is going to send troops to Ukraine," Czech Television quoted Fiala as telling a parliament meeting.
He added that Macron put forward the idea on the sidelines of the Paris meeting, and it was a "minimal topic" there, the report said.
"Perhaps it would have been useful to have some servicepeople, for example from France, on the territory of Ukraine, not to fight there, but perhaps to help there, for example, with training," Fiala said.
The Czech prime minister added that the overwhelming majority of participants of the Paris meeting had agreed that the question of sending troops to Ukraine would not be discussed or even considered further.
"It is not a topic [for a discussion] because this idea is unacceptable for the vast majority of countries," Fiala said.
On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin in his annual address to the Federal Assembly said that the consequences of a possible NATO intervention in Ukraine would be tragic for the alliance's deployed troops.
Putin also called statements made in the West that Russia is allegedly going to attack Europe "nonsense."
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Western countries, including member states of the European Union, have been providing military and financial aid to Kiev since the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. The Kremlin has consistently warned against continued arms deliveries to Kiev, saying it would lead to further escalation of the conflict. In April 2022, Russia sent a diplomatic note to all NATO countries on the issue of arms supplies to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russian strikes.