WARSAW – Poland should not exclude the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine, Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski stated in comments published on Tuesday. This comes as Kyiv faces significant challenges in repelling Russian advances. Sikorski did not specify the potential role that Polish troops might play.
While Ukraine’s NATO allies have committed to providing financial and military aid to help fend off the Russian invasion, they have largely refrained from sending soldiers to Ukraine. However, Sikorski suggested that keeping options open might be a strategic move. “We shouldn’t rule it out. We should leave Putin guessing as to our intentions,” he said in an interview published in Poland’s Gazeta Wyborcza, Italy’s La Repubblica, and Spain’s El Pais.
French President Emmanuel Macron has also indicated a willingness to consider sending troops to Ukraine. At a conference in Paris on February 26, he suggested that Western troops could assist by training Ukrainian forces within Ukraine.
Sikorski himself has previously mentioned that the presence of NATO troops in Ukraine is “not unthinkable.” This sentiment aligns with recent developments, as Ukraine’s top commander announced on Monday that he had signed paperwork allowing French military instructors to visit Ukrainian training centers soon.
Ukraine has been struggling to make significant gains against well-entrenched Russian forces since the failure of Kyiv’s 2023 counter-offensive. The delays in supplies of weapons and ammunition have further hampered Ukrainian efforts.
As the conflict continues, the possibility of NATO countries like Poland sending troops to Ukraine remains a topic of discussion, potentially altering the dynamics of the ongoing war.