(Dan Tri) – Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said some NATO members and the European Union (EU) are considering sending soldiers to Ukraine on a bilateral basis.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Photo: Reuters).
According to Reuters, Prime Minister Fico made the above statement on February 26 before the meeting of EU leaders in Paris, France.
Mr. Fico, who has long opposed military aid to Kiev, did not elaborate on his statement regarding some Western countries possibly sending troops to Ukraine.
`I will restrain myself to say that these arguments imply that some NATO and EU member states are considering sending troops to Ukraine on a bilateral basis,` Mr. Fico said on television.
`I cannot say what the purpose of sending troops is and what they should do there,` he said.
NATO members have provided billions of dollars in weapons and ammunition to Kiev and are training Ukrainian forces.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on February 14: `Neither NATO nor NATO allies are involved in the conflict.`
NATO has not commented on Mr. Fico’s statement.
When asked about this statement, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said: `The Czech Republic is certainly not prepared to send any soldiers to Ukraine, no one has to worry about that.`
Mr. Fico said he recognized the risk of large-scale escalation of conflict in Ukraine and could not disclose further information to the public.
France said about 20 European leaders, including Mr. Fico, gathered in Paris on February 26 to send Russian President Vladimir Putin a message about Europe’s determination towards Ukraine and rebuttal.
Mr. Fico said the holding of the meeting showed that the West’s strategy towards Ukraine had not been successful.
Previously, Deputy Chief of the Russian General Staff, General Sergey Rudskoy, on February 19 accused NATO soldiers of fighting against the Russian army in the conflict in Ukraine by disguising themselves as mercenaries.
Mr. Rudskoy also accused Ukraine of carrying out shelling against Russian civilians and with the tacit consent of Western countries.
Responding to newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda, the Russian general said that the US and its allies have provided Ukraine with adequate weapons and provided the country with communication and intelligence services, but some equipment requires personnel.
`NATO soldiers disguised as mercenaries participate in military operations. They operate air defense systems, combat tactical missiles and multiple launch rocket systems, and participate in units
The Russian general did not specify which NATO countries soldiers from were participating in the war in Ukraine.