Britain has reaffirmed its stance on refraining from deploying troops to Ukraine, emphasizing its support through training initiatives rather than direct involvement on the ground. “We are very clear that we stand ready and continue to support the Ukrainians with training particularly, but there has been a long-standing position that we are not committing U.K. troops to the theater of action,” stated the U.K.’s foreign minister. “That is certainly the U.K. position, and remains the U.K. position at this time,” they added.
In contrast, France has taken a somewhat different approach. Speaking to the BBC over the weekend, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot indicated that Paris does not rule out the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine if the situation calls for it. “We do not discard any option,” Barrot reiterated, echoing sentiments previously expressed by French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this year.
Macron, back in February, stirred controversy when he declined to rule out a potential deployment of French troops to Ukraine. His remarks attracted significant backlash from opposition parties within France and skepticism from NATO allies, including the U.S., U.K., and Germany. Despite the criticism, Macron has maintained his position, refusing to entirely rule out the possibility of direct intervention.
Meanwhile, the U.K. continues to downplay such a prospect. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer reaffirmed Britain’s commitment to its current policy, dismissing the notion outlined in a recent Le Monde article. “[There are] no plans for troops in that manner,” the spokesperson told reporters on Monday. Pressed further on whether British troops could eventually be sent to Ukraine, the spokesperson categorically ruled out the idea. “Yes, beyond what I’ve said previously about providing medical training and the military presence we have around the embassy, we don’t have plans for U.K. troops to be in combat alongside Ukrainian troops.”
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