Washington Post: NATO is already present in Ukraine

In response to the French president’s statement about the possibility of sending NATO troops to Ukraine, the Washington Post newspaper explained in a report that with a little precision, it can be concluded that NATO troops are already present in the war in Ukraine.

According to the Washington Post, with the continuation of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, the presence of foreign forces, including NATO, on the territory of Ukraine has become a place of geopolitical debate and strategic ambiguity. Although NATO member states have officially rejected the deployment of combat forces in Ukraine, a deeper investigation reveals a network of military advisers, special forces, and support networks that have made it difficult to discern the boundaries of direct intervention.

The recent statements of French President Emmanuel Macron about the possibility of deploying NATO forces in Ukraine have sparked discussions about the extent of NATO’s intervention in the Ukraine war. Macron’s “strategic ambiguity” approach reflects NATO’s attempt to strike a delicate and difficult balance: supporting Ukraine’s defense power without escalating the conflict and directly confronting Russia. This position symbolizes the general strategy of the West; Because the West initially started by providing non-lethal aid to Ukraine, and now it has come to consider more direct and obvious military support.

Macron recently told reporters at a meeting about Ukraine in Paris: “Today there is no consensus to send troops, in an official way. But dynamically, we cannot remove an option. “We will do whatever it takes to prevent Russia from winning this war.” These statements of his brought wide reactions; But the Washington Post newspaper stated in its report that NATO soldiers are already present in Ukraine in some way.

According to this report, some leaked documents and reports report the presence of a number of special forces and military advisors from the United States, England, France and other NATO countries in Ukraine. These forces are primarily engaged in logistical, training, and intelligence support rather than direct combat. The role of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in financing and equipping a network of spy bases throughout Ukraine to help track the movements of Russian forces and target the country’s military equipment further reveals the covert nature of NATO’s intervention.

In addition to these direct government interventions, the Ukrainian war has seen thousands of foreign volunteers, including from NATO countries, join the Ukrainian armed forces. These volunteers have different backgrounds; including former army veterans who joined the Ukrainian army motivated by ideological commitments or personal convictions. Volodymyr Zelenskyi, the President of Ukraine, has ordered that foreigners be allowed to join the National Guard of this country, and the citizenship process will be facilitated for those who defend Ukraine. These plans of Kiev have caused the influx of foreign fighters to the Ukrainian army and show Ukraine’s reliance on international support.

According to this American newspaper, the presence of soldiers and foreign advisers from NATO countries in Ukraine, although in non-combat roles, shows that the West is trying to balance between providing the necessary support to Ukraine and avoiding actions that lead to escalation of tensions with Russia. establish Referring to the signs of the presence of foreign troops in Ukraine, the Kremlin argues that this conflict is a proxy battle with the West; This has increased the support of the Russian people for the continuation of the war in Ukraine.

The intervention of NATO forces and advisors in Ukraine, both through official channels and through individual voluntary participation, emphasizes the contribution of the international community to the war in Ukraine. NATO countries still consider direct military conflict to be out of the available options, but the Washington Post acknowledges that the support provided through Western training, intelligence and logistical assistance plays an important role in Ukraine’s military power.

According to the Washington Post, this absent NATO presence in Ukraine is a testimony to the international dimensions of this war. According to this report, the strategic ambiguity adopted by NATO countries, in addition to providing vital support to Ukraine, raises questions about the future of international military intervention and the rules of war in the 21st century.

Source: ISNA