Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski stirred diplomatic waters on Friday, March 8, by saying that "NATO military personnel are already present in Ukraine."
Speaking during a conference commemorating Poland's 25th anniversary of joining the NATO alliance, Sikorski refrained from disclosing the specific countries involved but expressed gratitude to those nations for their participation.
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"NATO soldiers are already present in Ukraine. And I would like to thank the ambassadors of those countries who have taken that risk. These countries know who they are, but I can't disclose them. Contrary to other politicians, I will not list those countries," Sikorski said.
In response to Sikorski's statement, Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, suggested that further denial of NATO involvement would be futile.
The statement comes amidst growing discussions following French President Emmanuel Macron's recent remarks regarding the potential deployment of Western troops in Ukraine.
Speaking at a conference in Paris on Feb. 26, he did not rule out the possibility of sending NATO troops to Ukraine, stirring controversy within the Western diplomatic sphere.
“Currently, there is no consensus on sending troops. But in this matter, nothing should be ruled out in the future,” Macron said at a conference in Paris.
However, subsequent statements from other Western leaders, including the United States, rejected this possibility, with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg asserting that the alliance has no such plans.
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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned of the inevitability of direct conflict between Russia and NATO if foreign troops were to appear in Ukraine.
Macron later clarified France's position, stating that while the country was exploring avenues to support Ukraine, it was not currently considering sending its military contingent to the region.
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