NATO allies push back after Macron floats idea of sending troops to Ukraine

Various NATO allies have dismissed French President Emmanuel Macron’s belief that they should not rule out the possibility of sending troops to fight in Ukraine against Russian forces.

Following a meeting of 25 European leaders in Paris on Monday, Macron said, “We will do everything needed so Russia cannot win the war,” though he acknowledged there is not unanimous support for sending Western troops to Ukraine to fight.

“There’s no consensus today to send in an official manner troops on the ground. But in terms of options, nothing can be ruled out,” the French president said.

Other European leaders quickly dismissed the suggestion.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in part, “there will be no ground troops, no soldiers on Ukrainian soil sent there by European countries or NATO states,” while leaders from Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain all said in various ways there was no serious consideration of sending their own or NATO forces into Ukraine.