Deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine could escalate into WWIII, says Italian Foreign Minister

"I believe that NATO troops should not enter Ukraine. It would be a mistake to enter Ukraine. We should help protect it, but going to war with Russia means risking World War III," he said.

Tajani praised NATO troops for their missions in the Red Sea, Lebanon, Africa and Iraq, calling them "bearers of peace, guarantees and freedom".

"We are not at war with Russia. All people with common sense would not want" the escalation of the conflict.

He also commented on the Pope's "white flag" statement, saying, "The Pope is the Pope, he has to say it. It doesn't bother me."

Likelihood of NATO troops in Ukraine: What is known

Following a conference in support of Ukraine held in Paris on Feb. 26, Macron announced that Western allies of Ukraine would form a coalition to provide the Ukrainian Armed Forces with long-range weapons.

He also indicated that the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine in the future remains open.

Several NATO countries publicly rejected Macron's proposal about sending troops to Ukraine, including Poland, the United States, Germany, Czechia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

NATO countries should consider all options to assist Kyiv, but Kyiv hasn’t asked the Netherlands to send troops and there is currently no reason to discuss it, Dutch Defense Chief, General Onno Eichelsheim, said

European NATO member countries have been studying the possibility of sending Alliance troops to Ukraine for weeks, AFP reported, citing a source.

French troops may be deployed to Ukraine to guard certain borders, participate in military exercises, or operate ground-based air defense systems, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said on Feb 28.

On March 11, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine did not need Western troops on its territory, but was ready to accept "instructors" and "technical personnel" from NATO allies.