The Kremlin warned on Wednesday against European countries sending troops to Ukraine, highlighting the risk of direct conflict between NATO and Russia. European allies, including France, debated the idea of sending ground troops to Ukraine, but several other countries categorically rejected the idea, opting instead for a military aid.
On Wednesday, the Kremlin declared that it was “absolutely not in the interest” of European countries to send troops to Ukraine, and warned against the “inevitability” of direct conflict between NATO and Russia.
In Europe, a heated debate was sparked across the continent by French President Emmanuel Macron, who, on Monday evening, raised the specter of sending ground troops to Ukraine, following a meeting with his European counterparts in Paris.
On Tuesday, Berlin, London and other European allies of Kiev rejected the idea.
US President Joe Biden also categorically rejected the idea of sending in troops. “President Biden has made it clear that the United States will not send troops to fight in Ukraine,” Adrienne Watson, deputy spokeswoman for the National Security Council, said on Tuesday. Biden believes that “the road to victory” will involve military aid, which is currently blocked by Congress, she added.
Meanwhile, in the midst of his international tour, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took part in a security conference in Albania on Wednesday, his first trip to the Balkans since the Russian invasion two years ago.
Albanian Foreign Minister Igli Hasani announced his arrival in Tirana on Tuesday evening, assuring that his country “stands in solidarity with Ukraine in its heroic fight against Russia”, in a message on social networks.
Zelensky has been crisscrossing the globe recently to rally support for Ukraine, whose armed forces are facing a shortage of ammunition and weaponry in their fight against advancing Russian forces.
He is expected to attend the summit of Western Balkan leaders, which runs until Thursday in the Albanian capital.
Lastly, China’s envoy for Ukraine, Li Hui will begin a visit to Europe on Saturday, which will take him to Russia, the European Union headquarters in Brussels and Ukraine, Chinese diplomacy said on Wednesday.
Li Hui, who visited Europe last May for talks, is also expected to visit Poland, France and Germany to discuss the conflict in Ukraine, said Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
With AFP
