Slovak Defense Chief Draws 'Red Line' Against NATO Troop Deployment to Ukraine

This comes days after French President Emmanuel Macron hinted at the possibility of sending NATO troops to Ukraine, saying that such move could not be excluded.

Slovak Defense Minister Robert Kalinak has taken a firm stance against deploying NATO troops to Ukraine, labeling it a "red line" that must not be crossed.

He also criticized Western politicians for exploiting the conflict for their agendas.

Kalinak's remarks came soon after French President Macron's comments about the possibility of sending NATO troops to Ukraine hit a brick wall, prompting a series of rebuttals within NATO member countries, like the Czech Republic, Finland, Sweden, and the UK, each of them insisting they had no such plans.

Three Baltic countries - Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia - backed Macron's idea, while Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski voiced support afterward, arguing that Russia's actions necessitated "asymmetric escalation" from the West. Sikorski stressed that putting NATO boots on Ukraine's soil is "not unthinkable."

The Slovak minister cautioned against sending NATO soldiers to Ukraine, noting the potential for exacerbation into a global conflict. He emphasized the need for a peaceful resolution to the Ukrainian conflict.

Kalinak was echoed by Peter Pellegrini, Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic, who also reiterated Bratislava's commitment not to send Slovak troops to Ukraine.

There have been continuous calls for peace talks between Moscow and Kiev recently. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered to host negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in late February, while Pope Francis urged Kiev to "have the courage" to enter into dialogue with Moscow to halt further bloodshed. Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto also called for the activation of diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict.

Earlier this month, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto warned that postponing talks with Russia could erode Ukraine's position at the negotiating table. But the Kiev regime maintains that the withdrawal of Russian troops from its claimed territories is necessary before talks can proceed, a demand that Moscow lambasted as "absurd."

However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has asserted Moscow's commitment to resolving the conflict in Ukraine through peaceful means.

"We remain open to a political and diplomatic settlement, taking into account our legitimate interests, in addition to factoring in the realities that have developed over many years and which have now led to the current situation," Lavrov noted.