Warsaw - Saba:
Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamisz responded on Tuesday to US Special Envoy Keith Kellogg's statements regarding the deployment of Polish troops to participate in a peace mission in Ukraine, saying that Warsaw does not plan to send its troops.
US Special Envoy for Ukraine Kellogg had previously stated that the United States was considering deploying troops from Britain, France, Germany, and Poland west of the Dnieper River as part of a settlement to the Ukrainian crisis.
Kosiniak-Kamisz confirmed today: "Our position is clear - Poland does not plan to and will not send troops to Ukraine." He added: "From the beginning, we have been clear about our role as a logistical and infrastructure support hub for such a mission."
The Polish minister stressed that Poland's allies, who are meeting at various levels within the "Coalition of the Willing" to support Ukraine, "fully understand the role Poland must play," saying: "This role is recognized and appreciated by the allies." When asked whether such a statement by the US official could constitute indirect pressure on Poland, the Defense Minister denied it, saying, "Neither I, nor Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, nor anyone else have received any offers in this regard."
Following the Paris summit of the "Coalition of the Willing" on March 27, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that several members of the coalition were planning to send "deterrent forces" to Ukraine.
The French president emphasized that this Franco-British initiative would not replace Ukrainian forces, nor would the "deterrent forces" serve as peacekeeping forces. Rather, their goal would be to contain Russia and would be deployed in pre-determined strategic locations in agreement with the Ukrainians. Macron explained that the initiative does not enjoy unanimity, but its implementation does not require it.
The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service previously reported that the West would deploy a so-called "peacekeeping force" in Ukraine, numbering approximately 100,000 personnel, to restore Ukraine's combat capability. The service believes this would constitute a de facto occupation of Ukraine.
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