Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski stated that Poland does not rule out the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine as Kiev struggles to counter Moscow’s offensive.
In a media interview on May 28, when asked whether Poland is ready to send troops to Ukraine, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said, “We do not rule out this option. We will let Mr. [Russian President] Putin guess our intentions.”
However, Sikorski did not specify what role Polish military forces might play in Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated in February that Western leaders had discussed the scenario of sending troops to Ukraine. He emphasized that while there is currently no consensus on this issue, the possibility of Western troop deployment in Ukraine is not excluded.
While most countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, oppose Western military presence in Ukraine, some officials have shown agreement with Macron’s viewpoint.
At that time, Foreign Minister Sikorski said that the presence of NATO forces in Ukraine “is not unthinkable,” and he supported President Macron’s idea.
“The West should respond to Russia’s military activities in Ukraine with asymmetric escalation. From this perspective, the presence of NATO forces in Ukraine is not unthinkable,” the Polish diplomat stated.
Sikorski recently also expressed support for lifting the restrictions on Ukraine using Western weapons to attack targets within Russian territory.
Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict more than two years ago, Poland, along with NATO allies, has actively supported Kiev. In public statements, Western officials have affirmed not to send troops to Ukraine and aim to avoid direct conflict with Russia. The general stance of these countries is to continue providing military aid to Ukraine, such as supplying weapons and supporting military training.
However, in recent months, the Western alliance has begun to show cracks due to differing opinions on how to support Ukraine. While some countries support sending troops to Ukraine and allowing Kiev to use aid weapons to strike Russian territory, others oppose it.
This discord arises as Ukraine finds itself at a disadvantage on the battlefield in its conflict with Russia. Moscow is expanding its territorial control in Ukraine, launching a new offensive in the Kharkov region of northeastern Ukraine while Kiev shifts to defense on most fronts due to depleted ammunition and manpower.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Western troops entering Ukraine would ignite a nuclear conflict. In response, Sikorski stated that the U.S. has indicated if Moscow uses nuclear weapons, Washington would respond by using conventional weapons against Russian forces in Ukraine.
Poland, a NATO member, shares a border with Ukraine. Tensions between Russia and Poland have escalated since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began.
Last week, Poland announced it is considering using its air defense systems to shoot down Moscow’s missiles flying over Ukrainian airspace.
Last month, Polish President Andrzej Duda also stated that Poland is ready to allow the U.S. to store nuclear weapons on its territory. He explained that Poland’s stance is due to Russia’s increasing militarization of the Kaliningrad region bordering Poland and Lithuania, further noting that Moscow has also deployed nuclear weapons in Belarus.
