Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair has declared his opposition to deploying NATO troops in Ukraine, yet he supports establishing a NATO-specific mission for the country.
Speaking at the Atlantic Council event in Washington, Blair suggested that the NATO mission need not necessarily be based on Ukrainian soil, citing “a number of problems” associated with such a presence.
Blair elaborated, “There have been discussions about whether we would deploy forces in Ukraine, but frankly, the circumstances would have to be significantly different from what we are witnessing today.”
The statement comes amid varying international perspectives. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski recently called for a joint NATO mission in Ukraine, clarifying that this does not imply the alliance’s in the Ukrainian conflict.
However, several countries, including the United States, have expressed their opposition to this idea, affirming that they will not send forces to Ukrainian territory.
NATO’s Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana recently clarified that the alliance does not intend to deploy troops in Ukraine amidst the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Geoana emphasized that NATO continues to support Kyiv but has no plans to engage directly in the conflict or place forces on Ukrainian soil.
He pointed out that all decisions within NATO require collective agreement and the prospect of deploying troops is highly unlikely.
Furthermore, the alliance is focused on preventing the conflict from escalating into a broader war between NATO and Russia.
This statement came in response to comments made by French President Emmanuel Macron, who considered the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine.
Macron also reiterated his view that Ukraine’s fall would pose a security threat to Europe.
