Western troops are already present in Ukraine, but are not involved in the war because they have specialisations that keep them away from the front line. Find out what foreign troops are doing on Ukrainian territory and why countries have sent them there at their own risk

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For several months now, Western countries have been discussing the feasibility of sending their military to Ukraine. However, according to Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas in an interview with the Financial Times, some countries have already sent their military to Ukrainian territory. 

According to Kallas, NATO allies should not fear that sending troops to Ukraine to train its soldiers could draw the Alliance into a war with Russia. 

The Estonian prime minister noted that if Russian troops attacked the training personnel, it would not trigger NATO's Article 5 on mutual defence, which states that an attack on one means an attack on all.

Are Western troops already in Ukraine?

Kallas said that there are countries that are already "training soldiers on the ground", that is, training the Ukrainian army on its territory. According to the Estonian prime minister, they do so at their own peril.

"I cannot imagine that if someone gets hurt there, those who sent their people will say: "This is Article 5. Let's... bomb Russia'. This is not how it works. It doesn't happen automatically. Therefore, these fears are unfounded," she said.

In addition, she sees no risk of a direct conflict with Russia if the allies help Kyiv train Ukrainian soldiers on the territory of Ukraine.

"Russian propaganda does nothing but talk about a war with NATO, so they don't need a reason to do so. Whatever we do on our part... If they want to attack, they will attack," Kallas said.

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Macron's initiative

As you know, the issue of sending Western troops to Ukraine has gained new momentum after French President Emmanuel Macron did not rule out this option.

Against the backdrop of Macron's statements, European countries were divided into two camps: some supported his idea, others did not. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was the biggest opponent of the plan.

At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that it was risky to call on foreign troops to take part in hostilities at the front. However, Western troops could come to Ukraine to train Ukrainian soldiers and help repair Western military equipment.

However, Macron later reiterated his idea, saying that he did not rule out such a scenario if the Russian army breaks through the front and the Ukrainian side submits a request.

We remind you! French President Emmanuel Macron has recently been speaking out about the war in Ukraine. While he used to be more loyal to Putin, he is now ready to send his troops to Ukraine. We explain what the change in his rhetoric might be about and what intra-European competition has to do with it here.

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