NATO Military Committee Chair Adm. Rob Bauer stated on Friday that the alliance is prepared for a conflict with Russia.

In an interview with Armyinform, the online news outlet of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Bauer mentioned that the goal of the alliance is always to be prepared for war.

He further claimed that there are currently no NATO troops stationed in Ukraine and there are no plans to deploy troops there. He added that any member state considering the deployment of troops should recognize that such a move will impact the entire alliance.

Bauer's comments contradict a statement issued earlier this month by Poland's Foreign Minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, who said that NATO forces are already in Ukraine.

Moreover, his comments made reference to France when he cautioned member states against sending troops to Ukraine. At a recent address following a Ukraine-focused event in late February, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Western leaders discussed the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine. While no consensus had been reached over the matter, he said that nothing in this regard could be ruled out. 

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His statements were met with controversy, particularly on the part of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz who strongly opposed such plans. The White House has also reaffirmed that the United States does not intend to deploy troops to Ukraine.

In response to Macron's address, the Kremlin said that Russia must remain vigilant, as the current generation of European leaders lacks an instinct of self-preservation.

On March 16, Russia's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Dmitry Polyansky said that the presence of foreign troops in Ukraine was an 'open secret' that was dubbed a fact before the Polish Foreign Minister made his revelation.

"It's an open secret that Western military personnel are present in Ukraine. We know not only through the Polish foreign minister but other sources," Polyansky told Sputnik. 

He further made reference to leaks of a conversation between German military senior officers, saying it is a "much louder revelation" than what the Polish minister said. 

The leaked recordings indicated that British soldiers were already in Kiev assisting Ukrainian troops by firing long-range Storm Shadow missiles.

The leak also detailed how British forces collaborated with Ukraine on deploying Storm Shadow missiles against targets up to 150 miles behind Russian lines.

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