EU Countries Have Never Considered Sending Troops to Ukraine, Borrell

European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has stated that EU member countries have never thought about sending their troops to Ukraine, as reported by Коммерсант.

According to him, Ukraine needs assistance in all possible ways without the EU's direct involvement in the conflict.

In an interview with the Spanish newspaper El Pais, Borrell was asked whether planes should be sent to Ukraine. He responded that while assisting Kyiv, the non-hostile principle that the EU adheres to should be considered: “Non-military behavior means not participating directly in the war. We would be warlike if we deployed troops, which, of course, is not on the agenda and has never been.”

In response to a question about whether sending fighters constitutes participation in military operations, the European foreign policy chief stated that this is a subjective assessment of the conflict's parties: “For now, this issue is not on the agenda.”

Maria Zakharova, a representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, commented on Borrell's interview in her Telegram channel. She wrote that military personnel from EU countries have “long been sent to Ukraine” in the form of instructors, special services, and mercenaries.