France and NATO Support Ukraine Amid Troop Deployment Debate
Deputy Secretary General of NATO, Mircea Geoană, proclaimed on Saturday in Arad, in response to the statements made by the President of France regarding the deployment of troops to Ukraine, that Emmanuel Macron is "conveying a message of urgent necessity to continue supporting Ukraine." However, there are no such plans at the Alliance level, as reported by Agerpres.
"The President of France is conveying an urgent message to continue supporting Ukraine. At the NATO level, where decisions are made by consensus, we currently have neither plans nor political intentions to deploy NATO forces in Ukraine. Within the Alliance, we remain committed to supporting Ukraine to the fullest extent possible, while also being mindful of not escalating the conflict into a larger confrontation between NATO and Russia. Therefore, it is the inherent right of our leaders from NATO countries to express their viewpoints and essentially convey what we all acknowledge and understand: the need to support the Ukrainians," declared Geoană.
"We maintain a permanent relationship grounded in trust and professionalism among the countries supporting Ukraine, both NATO and non-NATO members, as well as our Ukrainian partners. There is an ongoing format of consultation between their requirements and the frontline situation, aligning with our industrial capacity and their needs. Hence, I believe that the recent decisions to train pilots and supply F-16 aircraft consider the current war scenario. Therefore, I do not perceive it as crossing red lines, but rather as an evolution in the dynamics of this conflict."
"NATO holds the ultimate responsibility for risk; thus, individual allies naturally retain a certain degree of autonomy. However, concerning Article 5, we are all bound by its provisions."
Emmanuel Macron stated, "If you threaten our interests, my own security, then I do not rule out intervention."
Translation by Iurie Tataru
