Russia’s Foreign Ministry: Any NATO Troop Deployment in Ukraine Is Unacceptable for Russia

Any scenario involving the deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine is categorically unacceptable for Russia and fraught with a sharp escalation of the conflict, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated. “We reaffirm the repeatedly expressed position of our categorical rejection of any scenarios involving the appearance of a military contingent in Ukraine with the participation of NATO countries, which is fraught with an uncontrollable escalation of the conflict with unpredictable consequences,” reads the commentary on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry, as reported by theins.ru. The statement was made “against the backdrop of statements by Western countries regarding the possibility of sending such a contingent.” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, in turn, stated that Ukraine’s membership in NATO is not currently under discussion, but that discussions are ongoing about security guarantees for Kyiv similar to the collective defense clause of the Charter. Earlier, Donald Trump spoke out against Ukraine’s membership in NATO.