Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a stark warning to Poland over its considerations of sending troops to Ukraine, highlighting the potential for further escalation and the risk of a long-term occupation.
"If Polish troops enter the territory of Ukraine to, as they say, secure the Ukrainian-Belarusian border, for example, or in some other places to free up Ukrainian rear military units to participate in hostilities on the frontline, then I think that Polish troops will never leave,” Putin said.
This development emerges amid a broader European discourse on supporting Ukraine in the face of Russia's military advances and Kyiv's dwindling ammunition supplies. This is reported by Wp.pl.
Poland's Foreign Minister, in statements reflecting on the 25th anniversary of Poland's NATO accession, expressed that the deployment of NATO forces in Ukraine remains a possibility—a stance appreciated by French President Emmanuel Macron who similarly did not dismiss the idea.
These remarks come at a critical moment as the U.S. Congress withholds crucial aid for Ukraine, intensifying the call for European nations to bolster their response to the conflict that has disrupted peace across the continent.
French President Macron's acknowledgment last month of the potential need for Western troops in Ukraine stirred controversy, breaking what had been a tacit understanding among allies and provoking a swift reaction from other global leaders.
Although French officials later clarified Macron's comments in an effort to mitigate the backlash, they maintained the importance of conveying to Russia that its efforts in Ukraine would not prevail.
However, the Kremlin has cautioned that the involvement of NATO combat troops would inevitably lead to a direct confrontation with Russia, a scenario Putin asserts could escalate to a global nuclear conflict. Situated on NATO's eastern border with Ukraine as its neighbor, Poland's consideration of military involvement in Ukraine is laden with historical and geopolitical complexities.
The nation, once under Russian dominion, harbors deep-seated apprehensions that a Russian victory in Ukraine could embolden Moscow to extend its influence further into what it perceives as its rightful sphere of interest.
As the situation unfolds, the international community remains vigilant, closely monitoring the developments in Eastern Europe and the implications they may hold for regional stability and global security.
