(NewsWorthy.news) – Latvia has expressed support for French President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial comments about “boots on the ground” in Ukraine, arguing the importance of making sure that Ukraine wins its war with Russia. EU and NATO leaders were quick to distance themselves from Macron’s comments in February 2024 that suggested Western powers may have to send troops into Ukraine if they want to defeat Russia and maintain European security. Latvia’s Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins said to Britain’s The Times that Macron’s comments had value and that it would be wrong to rule out sending troops into Ukraine.
In response to the comments by the French President at the Paris Ukraine conference, White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson reiterated President Joe Biden’s position that the U.S. would not be sending troops into Ukraine. NATO commented that there were no plans to send troops into the country, and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson ruled out sending in troops.
Macron’s proposal appeared the same day that Sweden’s NATO membership was cleared, which itself prompted criticism from pacifist groups for ending an era of official neutrality. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk rejected the proposal, as did the UK, which warned it could result in a “major escalation” of conflict. The Kremlin warned that confrontation would be inevitable if NATO sent its troops into the country.
German chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasized that there was an agreement at the conference that there would be no ground troops deployed on Ukrainian soil by European states or NATO states. The prospect of Russian expansion is an alarming one for many Eastern European states that either border Russia already or would be immediately threatened by a Russian victory in Ukraine.
As NATO borders expanded with the addition of Finland and Sweden as members, the Baltic Sea was referred to by some commentators as a “NATO Lake.” Italian Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani noted that Macron is facing a tough election ahead and suggested that he may be falling back on “war talk” to win votes. Karins also suggested in March that the UK should reintroduce military conscription having scrapped the system in 1960. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ruled out conscription in January 2024. After the invasion of Ukraine, Latvia and Finland both reintroduced conscription and now require men between the ages of 18 to 27 to work at least 11 months of service in the armed forces.
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