NATO must consider "new actions" in Ukraine "without crossing threshold of belligerence"

"In the face of Russian attacks and the destabilization of Europe, we must consider new actions in support of Ukraine,” he said.

“They should respond to very specific needs" and “may require foreign troops presence on Ukrainian territory for certain actions”.

"Nothing can be ruled out."

On Feb. 27, the Dutch Defense Chief Gen. Onno Eichelsheim said that the Netherlands would not rule out Western troop deployment to Ukraine, though it was “not yet opportune” to do so.

“I think you should keep all options open to see how you can best support Ukraine,” he said, noting that Ukraine has not asked the Netherlands to send troops and there is no point in discussing it at the moment.

Possible deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine: What is known

Before the summit of European leaders in Paris on Feb. 26, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico stated that several NATO and EU member states were discussing the possibility of sending their militaries to Ukraine based on bilateral agreements. Slovakia will not take such a step but will respect the decisions of countries that agree to send troops to Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron said later that sending Western troops to Ukraine in the future “could not be ruled out,” though he added that there is currently no agreement on the issue.

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal echoed Macron’s statement regarding the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine, emphasizing that Paris would not accept a situation where Russia wins the war.

Polish President Andrzej Duda mentioned that representatives of 28 countries actively discussed the idea of sending troops to Ukraine during a meeting in Paris, but it did not generate much enthusiasm. This issue was the subject of heated debate.

Poland’s Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk stated that his country “has no project or idea” to send its military to Ukraine.

The issue of sending troops to Ukraine is not relevant for Sweden, said Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

NATO has no plans to send its military to Ukraine, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who added that NATO allies have been providing unprecedented assistance to Ukraine since 2014.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also previously opposed sending NATO troops to Ukraine. The White House also emphasized that it does not plan to send American troops to Ukraine.

Commenting on Macron's words, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov threatened a direct conflict between Russia and NATO if Western countries decide to send their military to Ukraine.