London has distanced itself from the French President’s words about sending NATO forces to aid Kiev
Soldiers of the UK’s 2nd Battalion Royal Anglian infantry unit during the NATO “Brilliant Jump” military exercises in Poland, February 26, 2024 © Getty Images / Sean Gallup/Getty Images
The United Kingdom isn’t planning to put more boots on the ground in Ukraine, beyond the personnel it already has in the country, a spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Tuesday, after French President Emmanuel Macron suggested that NATO forces could eventually be deployed in Ukraine.
Macron met multiple NATO and EU leaders in Paris on Monday, and although there was no consensus about sending Western troops to aid Kiev, the French leader claimed he couldn’t exclude the possibility. “We will do everything necessary to prevent Russia from winning this war,” Macron declared.
The following day, NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg, as well as the leaders of Germany, Poland and other states – including the UK – made statements distancing themselves away from the concept.
“Beyond the small number of personnel we do have in country supporting the armed forces of Ukraine, we haven’t got any plans for large-scale deployment,” a spokesman from UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s office said. He added that London has taken on the role of training large numbers of Ukrainian troops in the UK, as well as supporting Kiev with armaments and supplies.
The UK has already provided almost $10 billion in military aid towards Ukraine’s war efforts, according to data provided by Germany’s Kiel Institute. The UK Defense Ministry announced on Saturday that they will provide an additional $311 million over the next year to help mitigate Ukraine’s shortages of artillery ammunition.
Moscow maintains that deliveries of Western armaments and ammunition to Kiev do not change the course of conflict, and only cause unnecessary deaths, while making the Western sponsors party to the conflict and raising the risks of escalation.
