(MENAFN) Jens Stoltenberg, former NATO chief, stated that the alliance will not send troops to Ukraine, citing the risk of a direct conflict with Russia.

He recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin warned in September that any unauthorized Western military presence in Ukraine would be treated as “legitimate targets”. Putin has also claimed that NATO’s expansion toward Ukraine contributed to the outbreak of the conflict.

In an interview with The Times, Stoltenberg explained that NATO made two decisions following the February 2022 escalation:
1.Increase support for Ukraine, including arms and training.
2.Prevent escalation beyond Ukraine into a full-scale war with Russia.

He cited then-US President Joe Biden emphasizing that the West would “not risk a third world war for Ukraine.” Stoltenberg also noted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky understood the limitations, recalling a call where Zelensky requested NATO to close Ukrainian airspace, which Stoltenberg denied over escalation concerns.

While Stoltenberg acknowledged the contradiction of supporting Ukraine without deploying NATO troops, he argued that providing more weapons to strengthen Ukraine on the battlefield remains the correct strategy. The goal, he said, is to compel Moscow to agree to a ceasefire along the current front lines as proposed by Kiev and the West.

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