Wednesday Briefing: Russia Warned Against NATO Troops in Ukraine

Ukrainian soldiers firing at a Russian target in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine last week.Credit…Tyler Hicks/The New York Times

Russia warned against NATO troops in Ukraine

Russia warned yesterday that a ground intervention in Ukraine by any NATO country would lead to a direct clash between the Western military alliance and Russian forces. The response came a day after France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, made a provocative comment about the possibility of allied countries sending in troops.

The Kremlin called the open discussion of NATO ground troops in Ukraine “a very important new element” and warned that “this is, of course, not in the interest of these countries.”

European countries rushed to distance themselves from Macron’s comment, and the NATO chief said the alliance had no such plans. France later clarified that Macron was trying to emphasize how Europe must consider new actions to support Ukraine.

The fractured messaging underscores how NATO — despite becoming more powerful with the approval of Finland and Sweden’s membership bids — is grasping for ways to support Kyiv as resolve weakens in the U.S. and as Russia advances on the battlefield.

Analysis: A foreign ground intervention in Ukraine is seen as unlikely by most analysts. Since Russia’s invasion, the U.S. and most of its European allies have categorically ruled out the possibility, warning that such a step could escalate into nuclear war.