Allies rule out sending soldiers to Ukraine, as Macron suggests

The majority of allies have closed, in just a few hours, the door that French President Emmanuel Macron opened to the possible sending of Western troops to Ukraine to ensure that Russia does not win the war.

Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Sweden, Poland and the Czech Republic have done so that same Tuesday, most of them through the mouth of their prime ministers.

They followed in the footsteps of Slovakia and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who already on Monday night had declared that the Alliance “has no plans to send troops to Ukraine.”

The French president had slipped this option this Monday night by declaring that “nothing should be excluded” to avoid Russia's victory over Ukraine, including sending troops to the invaded country, although he did not want to clarify what position his country had due to “ambiguity.” “strategic”.

“There will be no ground troops from European countries or NATO,” said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

“We are not thinking about it,” said the Swedish Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson, using words similar to those spoken early in the morning by the Polish head of government, Donald Tusk.

His Czech counterpart Petr Fiala appeared with the leader of Poland, using a similar speech.

The refusal of the four leaders has its symbolism.

Germany, although reluctant from the beginning to take steps that could be interpreted as direct confrontation with Russia, is the EU partner that has sent the most weapons to Ukraine.

Sweden has abandoned its neutrality of the last two centuries to join the Atlantic Alliance due to Russian aggression.

Poland and Slovakia have been, along with the three Baltic republics, the most belligerent countries with Moscow since the invasion began.

Wir sind uns gestern in Paris einig gewesen, dass alle mehr für die Ukraine tun müssen.

Sie braucht Waffen, Munition und Luftverteidigung.

Daran arbeiten wir.

Klar ist: Es wird no Bodentruppen europäischer Staaten oder der NATO geben.

Das gilt.

— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) February 27, 2024

All of them have been, in theory, in favor of giving more support to Ukraine, which is currently going through one of its worst moments, with the counteroffensive it launched last summer stalled.

“I have the feeling that we should develop the cooperation methods that we began to implement after the start of the invasion,” requested the Czech Fiala, who in recent times has proposed increasing the shipment of projectiles to kyiv.

So has the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, who last week reproached the capitals in a letter for not sending enough ammunition.

“Delays in the delivery of ammunition have a cost in terms of human lives and are weakening Ukraine's defense capabilities.”

In the proposal to increase support for kyiv there is, in any case, greater agreement than with respect to the troops, as Scholz has pointed out: “In Paris we agree that we must all do more for Ukraine.

You need weapons, ammunition and air defense.

We are working on that.

One thing is clear: there will be no ground troops from European states or NATO.”

The French president himself acknowledged that "there is no consensus to send land forces in an official, assumed and determined manner", although it is evident that it was put on the table, according to what Macron finally declared at the end of the summit convened in the French capital. this Monday to send the message to Moscow that Europe will not let it win this war.

The meeting was attended by 27 EU leaders and ministers plus NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, as well as representatives from the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.

The meeting also took place at a time when doubts and criticism of the West are rife for its insufficient support for Ukraine.

Sending troops to kyiv, of course, would mean crossing a red line that at this moment seems unimaginable.

Diplomatic sources in the community capital are skeptical.

Others don't see any route at all.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, allies and the EU have taken steps that seemed impossible just a day before.

For example, just a few days after February 24, 2022, the day the Russian offensive began, the Union agreed to finance the purchase of lethal war material to send to the attacked country.

Then it was the turn of the members of the Atlantic Alliance, who at first resisted sending tanks and then ended up doing so.

Sending troops, however, constitutes a barrier that many are not willing to overcome.

One of them is the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, who on Monday, even before the start of the meeting, noted that sending troops was on the agenda and that it gave him “chills.”

Macron, for his part, did not want to reveal his country's position, hiding behind “strategic ambiguity.”

Regarding this expression, the analyst of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, François Heisbourg, points out: “Confusion in the Western ranks is not the same as managing strategic ambiguity.”

More critical is the analyst Ulrich Speck, who said on on a large scale to Ukraine, a support that France has not given in the last two years.

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