It is said that Europe truly needs to take responsibility to win the war in Ukraine. It is suggested that Europe, particularly the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which relies on American aid, should do more for Ukraine and, if necessary, consider sending military trainers to the country.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who first raised the option of deploying NATO forces to Ukraine to fight against Russia, states that “there are no longer any red lines, no borders” regarding the war in Ukraine.[1] France is forming an alliance consisting of countries that are potentially open to sending Western forces to Ukraine.[2] Franz Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné traveled to Lithuania to discuss these matters, where he met with his Baltic and Ukrainian counterparts and supported the idea that foreign forces could assist Ukraine in areas such as mine clearance.
At the meeting chaired by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis and attended by his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, Séjourné sharply criticized Russia, stating, “It is not Russia’s place to tell us how we should help Ukraine in the coming months or years. It is not Russia’s job to organize our actions or set red lines. Therefore, we will decide this among ourselves.”[3]
Most European countries, including Germany, the Czech Republic, and Poland, have stated that they have no plans to send troops to Ukraine, despite Macron’s insistence on doing so. However, the three Baltic states, which would be most exposed to any Russian attack if Moscow succeeds in its war against Ukraine, are much more open to Macron’s proposal. Although Poland initially opposed Macron’s proposal, it has recently changed its stance. Additionally, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has supported Macron, stating, “We should draw red lines for Russia, not for ourselves. No support for Ukraine can be overlooked. We must continue to support Ukraine wherever it is most needed.”
On Wednesday, May 8, 2024, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte stated in an interview with the Financial Times that despite Russia’s nuclear threats, her country is ready to send troops to Ukraine for a training mission.[4] Before this statement, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced its readiness to conduct tactical nuclear weapon exercises, and prior to that, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron had stated that “British weapons could be used against Russia”.
In short, the potential use of NATO countries’ weapons in attacks on Russian territory and NATO countries’ possible trainer support to Ukraine are frequently debated topics. Russia aims to intimidate NATO by implying that it could use nuclear weapons in response to these potential scenarios.
AB and NATO member Lithuania had previously offered to send its troops to Ukraine for training purposes, but Kiev has not yet made such a request. This could be attributed to the influence of the United States (US) on Ukraine. Indeed, the US opposes even the use of domestically produced weapons by Ukraine to target Russia. As a result, the use of weapons belonging to NATO countries in a potential attack by Kiev on Russian territory is considered highly risky. Similarly, concerns and uncertainties will arise regarding the mission areas and activities of military personnel going to Ukraine for training within NATO. Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov commented on this issue, stating, “They are talking about the preparation of sending armed forces to Ukraine, and even about the intention, in fact, to put NATO soldiers in front of the Russian army. This is an entirely new stage of increased tensions. This is an unprecedented situation and requires special measures.”[5]
In the article titled “As Russia Advances, NATO Considers Sending Trainers to Ukraine,” published in The New York Times on May 16, 2024,[6] it is claimed that Kiev has requested assistance from the United States and its allies. However, it is not expected that the United States will take this step. Because an attack on NATO military trainers in Ukraine could trigger the activation of NATO’s collective defense clause and the need for advanced air defense to protect them. While some countries, especially the Baltic states, officially support or show interest in this idea, the majority, including NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, have opposed this proposal.[7]
However, US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Q. Brown stated that eventually, a significant number of active-duty NATO personnel would have to be sent to Ukraine.[8] This also implies that sending troops to Ukraine is “inevitable”.
In conclusion, while debates continue regarding NATO’s potential deployment of troops to Ukraine and the subsequent activation of NATO’s Article 5, Russia is issuing warnings of “nuclear war” or “World War III” regarding this matter. If Russia does not cease the war and continues to advance towards the inland areas of Ukraine, it is possible that NATO will consider this option. In such a scenario, we could be genuinely talking about a risk of global conflict or crisis.
[1] “Macron Ready to Send Troops to Ukraine if Russia Approaches Kyiv or Odesa”, Kyivpost, https://www.kyivpost.com/post/29194, (Access Date: 17.05.2024).
[2] “France finds Baltic allies in its spat with Germany over Ukraine troop deployment”, Politico, https://www.politico.eu/article/france-finds-baltic-allies-in-its-spat-with-germany-over-ukraine-aid-sikorski-nato-macron-troops-war/, (Access Date: 17.05.2024).
[3] Same source.
[4] “Lithuania Ready to Send Troops to Ukraine, PM Says”, The Moscow Times, https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/05/08/lithuania-ready-to-send-troops-to-ukraine-pm-says-a85063, (Access Date: 17.05.2024).
[5] “Lithuania Ready to Send Troops to Ukraine, PM Says”, Msn, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/lithuania-ready-to-send-troops-to-ukraine-pm-says/ar-BB1m1vnh?ocid=BingNewsSearch, (Access Date: 17.05.2024).
[6] “As Russia Advances, NATO Considers Sending Trainers Into Ukraine”, Nytimes, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/16/us/politics/nato-ukraine.html, (Access Date: 17.05.2024).
[7] “Some NATO countries are considering sending military instructors to Ukraine – NYT”, Pravda, https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2024/05/16/7456160/, (Access Date: 17.05.2024).
[8] “US chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says NATO will deploy troops to Ukraine”, WSWS, https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2024/05/17/smzs-m17.html, (Access Date: 17.05.2024).
