The White House said on Tuesday (Feb 27) that the United States would not send troops to fight in Ukraine. Germany, Britain, Spain, Poland and the Czech Republic have already distanced themselves from any suggestion they might commit ground troops to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
The comments from the White House came after French President Emmanuel Macron refused to rule out the dispatch of Western forces.
National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement: “President Biden has been clear that the US will not send troops to fight in Ukraine.”
Watson added that Biden believes the “path to victory” is for Congress to pass blocked military aid “so Ukrainian troops have the weapons and ammunition they need to defend themselves” against Russian invasion.
On being asked about the same, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, reiterated what Watson said. He also said that the “president’s been very clear”.
In the latest development, both the White House and State Department said the priority was for Congress to approve new military aid to Ukraine.
“Fundamentally, we think that the path to victory for Ukraine right now is in the United States House of Representatives,” Miller said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a supporter of former President Donald Trump and the leader of a razor-thin Republican majority, has refused to allow a vote on Biden’s request for approximately $60 billion for Ukraine.
Responding to Macron’s stance, a senior Ukrainian official told AFP on Tuesday that the French president sent a good signal by not ruling out deploying Western troops on the ground in Ukraine.
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“Macron is now demonstrating a deep understanding of the risks posed to Europe by the war in Ukraine,” presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak said.
While talks of deploying troops in Ukraine are only a “discussion” at this stage, “the French president’s statement clearly takes the discussion to another level,” he added, further telling AFP that “this is a good sign”.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin has warned confrontation with NATO is inevitable if the alliance deploys troops to the conflict, a major step that the West has so far avoided.
(With inputs from agencies)
