UK says ‘dangerous’ to send NATO troops in Ukraine — RT World News
British Foreign Secretary Davis Cameron said that the deployment of Western combat forces on the ground would lead to further escalation
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said on Friday that sending NATO soldiers to fight the Russian army in Ukraine would be very dangerous. He made his comments as European leaders reignited debate over whether the US-led coalition should consider more direct involvement in the conflict.
Speaking to Sky News on Friday, Cameron said the UK should continue to deliver weapons to Kiev and focus on replenishing its own stockpiles. 'As a national priority'
He added: “But I will not keep NATO soldiers in the country because I think that could be a dangerous escalation.” The Prime Minister added. “We have trained, I think, approximately 60,000 Ukrainian soldiers.”
The Foreign Minister's statement came after French President Emmanuel Macron once again refused to rule out the possibility of deploying NATO soldiers in Ukraine. He added: “We must not rule anything out because our goal is that Russia will never be able to win in Ukraine.” He told The Economist in an interview published this week. Macron said that the issue of deploying NATO forces on the ground may arise “If the Russians can penetrate the front lines” And if Kyiv asks for help.
High-level European officials have floated the idea of deploying troops, and some have suggested that NATO could send de-mining teams and other non-combat personnel. He added, “The presence of NATO forces in Ukraine is not excluded.” Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told reporters in March.
However, some NATO countries, including Hungary and Slovakia, strongly opposed further escalation. “If a NATO member sends ground troops, it will be a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia, and then it will be World War III,” Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó told French radio LCI on Thursday.
Moscow has repeatedly warned that it will be forced to attack Western forces if they participate in the conflict. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on Telegram on Friday “There will be nothing left” NATO forces if sent to the front lines in Ukraine.
Kiev has raised the alarm over delays in Western military aid in recent months, blaming ammunition shortages for battlefield losses. In an interview published in The Economist on Thursday, Vadim Skibitsky, deputy head of Ukraine's military intelligence agency, said Ukraine's defenses could collapse even with recently approved additional aid packages from the US and UK.
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