The Kremlin has paid attention to French President Emmanuel Macron’s statement about Europe discussing sending troops to Ukraine, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.
"In general, here, probably, the very fact of discussing the possibility of sending certain contingents to Ukraine from NATO countries is, of course, a very important new element… We are well aware of Mr. Macron’s position regarding the need to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, and so on and so forth. We noticed that the issue of sending military personnel to Ukraine was actually discussed. We also noted that there is a very wide range of opinions on this matter. Indeed, there is no consensus," Peskov told reporters.
The spokesman added that some countries that participated in a meeting held in Paris on Ukraine held a quite "wise assessment of potential dangers" of being involved in the conflict.
"This, of course, is absolutely not in the interests of these countries. They must be aware of this," Peskov said, adding that if the West sends troops in Ukraine, then the direct NATO-Russia clash would be "inevitable."
On Monday, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said that several EU and NATO countries are considering the possibility of sending their military to Ukraine on the basis of bilateral agreements.