NATO deployment not up for discussion at the moment: French MoD
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France's Minister of Defense says President Macron's comments on sending NATO troops to Ukraine were interpreted incorrectly.
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French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu waits at the Elysee Palace Thursday, January 26, 2023 in Paris. (AP)
In an interview with the RMC broadcaster, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu stated that for now, sending NATO troops to Ukraine is not an option up for discussion, as other alternatives are being considered to aid Ukraine.
"We wanted to tell our allies about other options that we have, we discussed different hypotheses, but not sending military personnel to participate in hostilities, as some people interpreted it. The president [of France, Emmanuel Macron] said that we would not become complicit [in the Ukraine conflict]", he said.
"Nevertheless, have we tried everything in this field between sending weapons, as we are doing now, and complicity, which means direct war with Russia? Are there any ways that have not been tried yet?" Lecornu continued.
French President Emmanuel Macron declared last month that "there is no consensus today to send ground troops... but nothing should be excluded. We will do whatever it takes to ensure that Russia cannot win this war."
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'Presence of Western military personnel in Ukraine not direct conflict'
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal later mirrored the same rhetoric saying that France would not be able to "accept the prospect that at some point Russia could win."
French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne also said in response that the presence of Western military personnel in Ukraine would "not necessarily mean direct involvement in the conflict".
Several NATO countries, including the US, Germany, and the UK, have rejected Macron's idea.
Still, Lecornu raised the option of Western presence in Ukraine for "mine clearance activities" and training of Ukrainian troops.
On that matter, citing an anonymous senior European defense official, the Financial Times reported that it is widely known that Western special forces are present in Ukraine, yet unofficially.
The anonymous senior European defense official revealed to FT that Macron’s remarks were an attempt to pressure Russia, since “everyone knows there are Western special forces in Ukraine – they’ve just not acknowledged it officially.”
It is worth noting that Russia has repeatedly reported strikes against “foreign mercenaries” in Ukraine. Russia’s Defense Ministry announced last month the killing of over 60 foreign fighters in a missile strike, of which the majority were French speakers, according to local sources.
