As of: March 9, 2024, 4:28 p.m
By: Felix Busjaeger
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The Steadfast Defender-24 exercise is intended to showcase NATO defense capabilities.
Now there are always considerations about NATO troops in Ukraine.
(Archive image) © IMAGO / ZUMA Wire / Dominika Zarzycka
NATO troops in Ukraine: Poland has now shown itself open to the idea.
Meanwhile, new weapons are being installed against Russia in the Baltics.
Warsaw – For a long time the idea was considered taboo.
But after two years of war in Ukraine, there is now a lot of talk about NATO troops in Ukraine.
After the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron and the clear rejection of the German Chancellor, another EU country is now positioning itself.
“The presence of NATO troops in Ukraine is not unthinkable.
“I welcome the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron,” wrote Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday.
The question of having our own ground troops in Ukraine is once again dividing the alliance partners and could cause further tensions.
NATO troops in Ukraine: Poland is open to Macron's statements
Emmanuel Macron's statement about NATO troops in Ukraine sparked a widespread debate last month.
“Today there is no consensus on officially sending ground troops,” the French politician said on February 26.
“But nothing can be ruled out in the dynamic.
We will do everything necessary to ensure that Russia cannot win this war.” Many NATO member states subsequently spoke out clearly against NATO involvement in the Ukraine war, but in favor of comprehensive arms deliveries.
Despite the criticism, Macron is sticking to his ideas.
“Every word I say on this subject is considered, thoughtful and prudent,” he told broadcaster
BFMTV
this week .
The fact that the Polish Foreign Minister is now open to such considerations brings a new dynamic to the debate.
The country, which has been a member of NATO since 1999, is now considered a heavyweight in the defense alliance due to its large military expenditure, which recently accounted for almost four percent of GDP.
In addition, Sikorski's statement openly shows the dissent in the Weimar Triangle on one of NATO's most important issues.
Dissent at the Weimar Triangle over debate about NATO troops in Ukraine
Although the Weimar Triangle had lost its importance in recent years, the outbreak of the Ukraine War made cross-border cooperation between France, Germany and Poland regain its importance.
Since August 28, 1991, the aim has been to identify common basic interests for the future of Europe and to expand cross-border cooperation.
The Federal Foreign Office announces this on its website.
However, the renewed intensified cooperation has now suffered a setback due to the statements about NATO troops in Ukraine.
As Der
Spiegel
writes, both Macron and Sikorski accuse opponents of a ground forces debate of shortsightedness and cowardice.
And the harshest critics of this idea of troops are based in Berlin: Chancellor Scholz and Defense Minister Pistorius have repeatedly emphasized in the past few days that NATO troops in Ukraine would contradict the core idea of the defense alliance.
“Nobody really wants boots on the ground in Ukraine, there is a discussion about it now, so we should stop it at this point,” Pistorius said on Friday during a visit to Helsinki.
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NATO forms against Russia: saber rattling on the eastern flank?
While some states, such as the Czech Republic and Latvia, have not fundamentally ruled out the idea of NATO troops in Ukraine, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg gave a clear rejection at the beginning of the debate.
Among other things, there are fears that Russian President Vladimir Putin will react clearly if NATO troops are relocated to the war zone.
The Kremlin boss has already announced “tragic consequences” of such action.
After Sweden joined NATO, the alliance is now becoming more and more vocal against Russia.
32 countries have now joined forces.
Russian propaganda regularly takes up NATO expansion and even threatens the West with nuclear reactions.
But the saber rattling is not one-sided: it recently became known that the defense alliance is further increasing its own air defense on the border with Russia.
NATO wants to strengthen defense on the eastern flank against Russia: air defense upgraded
In response to demands from the Baltic states to strengthen Europe's defense capabilities in the region, NATO countries are relying on an air defense model based in Lithuania.
As
Newsweek
reports, according to Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anušauskas, defense systems in his country will be operational this year.
“We expect that this principle will not be a one-time thing for several months, but will cover all our calendar months and significantly improve our air defense capabilities,” Anušauskas said, according to a quote from the Lithuanian National Radio and Television.
Several European countries have expressed concerns that the Ukraine war could ultimately lead to a larger conflict.
For this reason, NATO has been strengthening its defense systems along the eastern border in recent months.
Larger military maneuvers are also held regularly, which are officially intended to increase the combat power of the member states.
Unofficially, they also represent a demonstration of power against Russia.
(fbu/dpa)