Statements made by Western politicians about a possible sending of their military contingents to Ukraine are "extremely irresponsible" and can be seen as an escalation of the conflict, Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergey Naryshkin has told Sputnik.
"These are extremely irresponsible statements by Western politicians. And even the statements can be regarded as an escalation of the conflict on their part," Naryshkin has said, commenting on the increasing frequency of statements about the possibility of sending Western militaries to Ukraine.
In February, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Western leaders had discussed the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine, but that no consensus had been reached, adding, however, that "nothing can be ruled out." Later, French Chief of Staff, Pierre Schill, noted that the French army was preparing for "the toughest" engagements.
Later, former US Deputy under Secretary of Defense Stephen Bryen reported in a column for the Asia Times that France had "officially sent" soldiers from its Foreign Legion to Ukraine. He went on to write that the forces have been deployed "in support of the Ukrainian 54th Independent Mechanized Brigade in the city of Slavyansk."
US House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on Sunday that there is a significant likelihood the United States will have to send troops to the conflict zone if Ukraine falls, adding that Washington must continue supporting Kiev in order to prevent a broader war.