The French-led initiative to deploy NATO troops in Ukraine is gaining traction among European nations, particularly those bordering Russia, despite initial skepticism from major Western allies. Benjamin Haddad, a prominent member of the French parliament from President Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party, highlighted the momentum for deeper NATO involvement during the Lennart Meri Conference in Estonia last week.
Haddad emphasized the urgency of re-establishing Western strategic ambiguity to counterbalance Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggressive maneuvers. “We spend too much time being worried about escalation where when Russia is the country that has been escalating,” he said, underscoring the need for NATO to “think creatively” about providing support to Kyiv.
Though the U.S. has been dismissive of the proposal, European leaders, including Czech President Petr Pavel, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, have shown support or openness to discussing the deployment of NATO troops in non-combat roles within Ukraine. Haddad noted, “This is important because these countries are on the first line, and these are countries that have had distrust towards Paris and Berlin for a long time.”
The NATO-EU partnership, critical for the security landscape of the Euro-Atlantic area, has historically emphasized complementary and mutually reinforcing roles. The 2022 Strategic Concept, which underscores NATO’s core policy direction, describes the EU as an essential partner. This cooperation has been deepened by recent agreements, including the third Joint Declaration on EU-NATO Cooperation signed in January 2023.
However, the proposal to deploy NATO troops is not without risks. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has warned that “direct intervention on the ground in this conflict by the military of NATO countries potentially carries enormous danger.” The Russian administration has consistently framed its war on Ukraine as a confrontation with the U.S.-led “collective West.”
Despite these warnings, Ukraine continues to push for increased Western support. President Volodymyr Zelensky recently addressed the fear of escalation among Western allies, stating, “Everyone is scared of escalation. Everyone has gotten used to the fact that Ukrainians are dying—that’s not escalation for people.”
The current conflict dynamics are alarming. Russian forces have opened new fronts in northeastern regions, including Kharkiv and Sumy, while intensifying their offensive. “We see a Russia that’s ramping up aggression, that’s turned its industry to complete war economy footage,” Haddad remarked, highlighting the lag in Western response.
Relevant articles:
– Momentum ‘Clearly’ Building for NATO Troops in Ukraine , Newsweek, 05/22/2024
– Relations with the European Union, NATO HQ, 05/22/2024
– WW3 fears explode as NATO troops in Ukraine ‘clearly’ building momentum, Express, 05/22/2024
– Putin’s Nuclear Drills ‘Saber Rattling’ to Prevent Use of NATO Weapons: ISW, Newsweek, 05/22/2024
– NATO must do three things to stop Putin building up unstoppable ‘momentum’ in Ukraine, Express, 05/22/2024
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