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Zelensky called on NATO countries to prepare reserves for the Ukrainian Armed Forces
Zelensky called on allies to prepare brigades that could replace Ukrainian forces. Ukrainian soldiers are being trained in the West. The Kremlin has warned that the emergence of a military bloc in Ukraine makes conflict with NATO inevitable.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on allies to prepare brigades to replace Ukrainian forces during a joint briefing with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
"Our message to all countries: prepare your brigades. They can become reserves, replace our tired soldiers and replace them on the battlefield," he said (quoted by "Strana.ua").
The Ukrainian army has repeatedly spoken about the "exhaustion" of its forces, their large losses and the lack of rotation, especially against the backdrop of the active offensive of Russian troops in Donbas. Zelensky said that the operations of Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region, which began in August, reduced the burden on Ukrainian forces in Donbas. Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized that the offensive of the Russian armed forces is accelerating.
French President Emmanuel Macron has not ruled out sending Western troops to Ukraine in February, but most of Kyiv's allies, including Germany and the United States, have rejected such plans. Former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has also ruled out such a scenario. NATO Military Committee Chairman Rob Bauer stressed that the issue of sending NATO troops to Ukraine should be discussed within the bloc as a whole.
Western countries also train the Ukrainian army. In particular, they have been trained in Germany, Poland and the United States. The Times wrote that Great Britain is considering sending military instructors to Ukraine. Before that, London acknowledged that some British troops are deployed in Ukraine. According to the Times, they train Ukrainian military doctors.
Moscow said Western troops were already deployed in Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin said Russia viewed them as interventionists. "If we are talking about foreign official troops, I am sure that this will not change the situation on the battlefield," he said.
The Kremlin stressed that sending NATO troops to Ukraine would inevitably lead to a conflict between the alliance and Russia.