The French president previously implied that the bloc could send troops to Ukraine
NATO is not planning to deploy troops to Ukraine, the secretary-general of the US-led bloc, Jens Stoltenberg, has insisted. His remarks contradict suggestions by French President Emmanuel Macron, who faced a backlash last month when he said the West “cannot exclude” the possibility of sending soldiers to aid Ukraine in the conflict with Russia.
Stoltenberg refuted the idea shortly after Macron’s initial statement, and reiterated his stance in an interview with Reuters published on Monday.
“NATO has no plans to send troops to Ukraine and NATO’s not party to the conflict, nor are NATO allies,” he stated. Stoltenberg warned that even if individual members decided to send troops to the conflict zone, all of NATO would be affected as its members are bound by a collective defense pact.
When asked whether Marcon’s comments regarding a lack of consensus on troop deployments to Ukraine were a mistake, Stoltenberg did not respond directly, but suggested that discussions are necessary.
“I think it is important that we consult and that we have a common approach to these important topics because they matter for all of us,” he was cited as saying.
Numerous NATO members have refuted Macron’s remarks, with the majority pledging no boots on the ground in Ukraine and suggesting the bloc should instead focuses on military and financial assistance for Kiev.
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