Norway does not rule out deployment of troops to Ukraine, says Foreign Minister

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide has stated that in the long term, he would not rule out the deployment of troops to Ukraine, although there are currently no such plans.

Source: Espen Barth Eide in an interview with European Pravda

The minister noted that the discussions regarding the potential deployment of Western troops to Ukraine were not actually about combat units for direct confrontation with Russian forces, but rather about support, training, military advisors, and so on.

"We have no current plans to send troops. I don't think many countries have. But on the other hand, in the very long run I don't think we should rule out anything in principle," said Eide.

He said that NATO wants to support Ukraine to a level where Ukraine succeeds and Russia suffers defeat. 

"But there is no desire to be a direct party to the war, because that could lead to a world war which we don't want to see," the minister stated.

Background:

• In March, French President Emmanuel Macron said that he had not ruled out the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine in the future. He later added that these remarks, which caused an uproar, had been carefully thought through.
• Later, commenting on the idea, Macron emphasised that French forces would not engage in an offensive against the Russian Federation in such a scenario.
• Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that Poland had no intention of directly participating in combat in Ukraine.

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