Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico has claimed NATO and the European Union are “considering” putting boots on Ukrainian ground, in what could mark a major escalation of the war.
Mr Fico, a pro-Russia populist who during his electoral campaign pledged to stop sending military aid to Ukraine, spoke ahead of a meeting held on February 26 in Paris and focused on the state of the Russian invasion, as well as how Europe should boost its support to the eastern European nation.
Without providing many details, the politician said to be citing a “restricted document” listing topics he would soon discuss with fellow EU leaders that “sends shivers down your spine”.
He added: “These topics imply that a number of NATO and EU member states are considering sending troops to Ukraine on a bilateral basis. I can’t say for what purpose or what they would do there.”
Mr Fico, who in January said Ukraine had to “compromise” and leave in Russian hands the territories the Kremlin has occupied since 2014 in order to end the conflict, added: “This meeting is confirmation that the Ukraine strategy of the West has completely failed.”
Mr Fico appeared to be vague with his remarks, not making clear whether it was being considered to deploy Western soldiers in Ukraine while the war is still raging or to help build back the country at a later date.
NATO and EU member states have repeatedly stressed over the past two years of war in Ukraine that military aid to the eastern European nation would not involve sending soldiers.
But there have been suggestions, even from former UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace when he was still in office, that Western troops may be stationed in Ukraine after the war comes to an end.
Suggestions NATO is far from considering having Western troops clash with Russian soldiers in Ukraine were reinforced by Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, who said ahead of the meeting led by French President Emmanuel Macron: “The Czech Republic certainly is not preparing to send any soldiers to Ukraine, nobody has to worry about that.”
Mr Fico, who only months into his term U-turned on the military aid pledge and allowed the exports to Ukraine of private arms to carry on, was one of the 17 EU leaders to attend the meeting on Monday night.
Officials and ministers from the UK, Canada and the US were also in attendance.
After the meeting, Mr Macron seemingly addressed Mr Fico’s claims, as he said: “There is no consensus to officially back any ground troops.”
Stressing the aim of the meeting was to support Ukraine in winning the war, which entered the third year on Saturday, he added: “That said, nothing should be excluded. We will do everything that we can to make sure that Russia does not prevail.”
The French President also said the coalition to be formed as a result of the meeting would supply Kyiv with “missiles and bombs of medium and long-range”.
