Yesterday at 19:50
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas thinks that NATO allies shouldn’t be afraid of sending troops to train Ukrainians because some states have already done that, not expecting Article 5 to be triggered.
She told this the Financial Times.
“I can’t possibly imagine that if somebody is hurt there, then those who have sent their people will say ‘it’s Article 5. Let’s… bomb Russia.’ It is not how it works. It’s not automatic. So these fears are not well-founded,” Kallas explained her position.
In addition to fears related to Article 5, some politicians think simply sending any kind of foreign troops will backfire with Russia targeting them as a side of the war. However, Kallas, while not seeking a direct confrontation with Russia, doubts that’s what will provoke the aggressor.
“Russia’s propaganda is all about being in a war with NATO, so they don’t need an excuse. Whatever we do on our side… If they want to attack, they will attack,” Kallas explained.
As for Estonia, the state is currently discussing its options, and the parliament wound need to approve the decision.
“It is an open public debate, but I think we shouldn’t rule out anything right now,” Kallas said.
General CQ Brown, chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, on May 16 said that NATO allies would “get there eventually, over time”, meaning sending troops to Ukraine.
In March, in an interview with the German news agency DPA, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said that the presence of some Western military personnel on Ukrainian territory is an “open secret”.
Read also: French parliament calls for “lifting taboo” on Ukraine’s use of Western weapons against Russia
