French Foreign Ministry: Ukraine did not ask for troops, but we do not exclude anything
French Foreign Minister, Stéphane Séjourné (Getty Images)
Ukraine did not ask to send Western troops. However, nothing can be ruled out in the coming months, according to French Foreign Minister, Stéphane Séjourné, Politico reports.
According to the media, Séjourné met with Baltic and Ukrainian counterparts during his visit to Lithuania.
"It is not for Russia to tell us how we should help Ukraine in the coming months or years," he said. "It is not for Russia to organize how we deploy our actions, or to set red lines. So we decide it among us."
Séjourné repeatedly referred to mine clearance operations as a possibility, saying it "might mean having some personnel, (but) not to fight."
"Ukraine did not ask us to send troops. Ukraine is asking us to send ammunition at the moment," the minister said. "We do not exclude anything for the coming months."
Macron's idea of sending troops to Ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron did not rule out that NATO could deploy troops to help Ukraine. The main problem, according to him, is the lack of consensus for now.
Several NATO states have opposed this idea, including Germany, Czechia, Bulgaria, Poland, Spain, and Italy. However, there are countries willing to consider such a possibility, such as Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.
Canada, also a NATO member, has stated that it is ready to send troops to Ukraine, but only to train Ukrainian defenders far from the front lines.
