Financial Times: Western special forces are present in Ukraine.
According to Reuters, the Financial Times quoted “an informed European defense official” as saying that French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent statements about the possible deployment of Western forces in Ukraine were aimed at creating deterrence and an ambiguity strategy against Russia, and everyone knows that Western special forces are currently present in Ukraine.
This European defense official, whose name was not mentioned by the Financial Times, said: “Everyone knows that Western special forces are present in Ukraine, but they have not officially confirmed it yet.”
German Chancellor Olaf Schultz announced yesterday that neither NATO countries nor European Union countries will send their ground forces to Ukraine. Earlier, the NATO Secretary General rejected the possibility of sending military forces to Ukraine by the countries of this alliance. The NATO Secretary General said that the alliance has no plans to send military forces to Ukraine.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg yesterday denied reports that NATO plans to send military personnel to Ukraine. In an interview with the Associated Press, NATO Secretary General said: NATO is supporting Ukraine in an unprecedented way. We have been doing this since 2014 and after the (Russian) attack, we increased it. But there is no plan to send NATO combat troops to Ukraine.
Before this, French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized that European leaders discussed the possibility of sending military forces to Ukraine, but there is still no consensus.
A few hours ago, Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman of the Russian presidency, announced that if Western forces are sent to Ukraine, a direct conflict between NATO and Russia will not be a possibility but inevitable.
Also, European Union ministers announced the approval of the 13th sanctions package against Russia, in which restrictive measures were applied against 106 natural persons and 88 legal entities.
“The Council of the European Union decided to impose restrictive measures against 106 individuals and 88 other entities responsible for actions that undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine,” a statement issued by the Council said.