Italian Defense Minister accuses Macron of 'escalating tensions' over war in Ukraine
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crozetto (photo: Getty Images)
Italy will not send troops to Ukraine and will not participate in the war. Such statements by French President Emmanuel Macron are escalating tensions, says Italian Defense Minister Guido Crozetto.
"Unlike others, we have a clear prohibition in our system on direct military intervention, except for what is provided for by the laws and the Constitution. We can only envisage armed intervention under an international mandate, for example, in pursuance of a UN resolution," the minister said, commenting on the idea of sending troops to Ukraine.
According to him, the deployment of Western troops would provoke an expansion of the conflict, which would not benefit Ukrainians.
The head of the Italian Defense Ministry believes that Macron's statements about the possible deployment of troops only escalate the situation.
"I don't condemn the president of a friendly country like France, but I don't understand the purpose and benefit of these statements, which objectively escalate tensions," Crozetto said.
It should be added that Italian Defense Minister Guido Crozetto had previously made several ambiguous statements about Russia's war against Ukraine. In particular, he said that it was time to find a "political solution," hinting at negotiations.
Macron's idea to send NATO troops
French President Emmanuel Macron has not ruled out the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine. This statement by Macron sparked a lot of discussion in the United States and European countries.
Most countries rejected the possibility of sending soldiers. However, the Baltic countries and Canada did not rule out the possibility.
Later, France explained that Macron was not referring to the direct involvement of Western armies in combat, but, for example, to assistance in demining or training on the territory of Ukraine.
