US and NATO Allies Rule Out Troop Deployments to Ukraine

Facts

• The US and a number of its NATO allies, including the UK, Germany, and Italy, on Tuesday ruled out deploying troops to Ukraine — an idea suggested by French Pres. Emmanuel Macron earlier in the day.¹
• Speaking at a security conference for Ukraine in the French capital, Macron said there was 'no consensus' on sending Western troops to the country, but added that 'nothing should be excluded.'²
• The remarks drew an immediate rebuke from Russia, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stating that such a policy would inevitably lead to a direct war between Russia and NATO. 'It's not going to be about probability, but inevitability,' he said.³
• Peskov added that NATO countries 'should also assess' the consequences of such actions and be aware of them. They should 'ask themselves whether this corresponds to their interests, and most importantly, to the interests of the citizens of their countries,' he said.³
• Soon after, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg ruled out the prospect. In his daily briefing, John Kirby, the White House's National Security Council spokesman, pointed to those comments and said that US Pres. Joe Biden has been 'crystal clear' about sending troops to Ukraine. 'There will be no troops on the ground in a combat role, there in Ukraine,' he said.⁴
• Statements from Rishi Sunak, Olaf Scholz, and Giorgia Meloni — leaders of the UK, Germany, and Italy respectively — all pointed to how they've supported the Ukrainian war effort, but said that will not include troop deployments in the country.⁵

Sources: ¹BBC News (a), ²BBC News (b), ³TASS, ⁴Newsweek and ⁵Le Monde.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Newsweek. While it was a sovereign decision that each NATO ally would have to make for themselves, neither the US nor NATO as a whole will deploy troops in Ukraine. This was merely a proposal for thought ahead of a security conference and, upon discussion, it was disregarded.
• Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by TASS. The notion of sending Western troops to Ukraine will inevitably lead to a war between Russia and NATO if not World War III. The fact this was even discussed as an option shows how badly the Ukraine strategy has failed and how delusional Western leaders have become.

Predictions