NATO troop deployment in Ukraine could ‘potentially escalate to World War III,’ says Hungarian FM

NATO’s deployment to Ukraine could heighten tensions and “potentially escalate to World War III,” Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in an interview with the Russian propaganda agency TASS.

“In such a critical situation, not only actions but also words are of great importance,” he said.

Therefore, when it comes to the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine on behalf of some NATO member states, it is really dangerous, because we do not want to face the threat. The terrible risk of a third world war is approaching.”

According to Szijjártó, the number of people in the EU “who oppose actions that increase the risk of escalation” is growing.

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“I think there are more and more people in Europe - and when I say ‘people’ I do not equate them with political leaders - who are beginning to approach this problem rationally, and more and more people are inclined to oppose actions that increase the risk of escalation.”

On Feb. 26, French President Emmanuel Macron said that sending Western troops to Ukraine in the future should not be ruled out. Several NATO countries publicly rejected the idea of sending troops to Ukraine in response to Macron’s statements, including Poland, the United States, Germany, Czechia, Canada, and the UK.

“We could not guarantee that our country’s military would not be sent to Ukraine in the future”, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said on March 3.

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Western countries should discuss the idea of sending troops to Ukraine and stop drawing “red lines” in terms of assistance to Kyiv, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said.

NATO countries should consider all options to help Kyiv, the Netherlands’ Defense Chief, General Onno Eichelsheim, said.

European NATO member states have been studying the possibility of sending NATO troops to Ukraine for weeks, AFP reported, citing a source.

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French troops could be sent to Ukraine to protect certain frontiers and participate in exercises or ground air defense, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said on Feb. 28.

He ruled out the participation of French soldiers in battles “directly on the front line.”

On March 19, Macron said that fears of a possible deployment of Western troops in Ukraine were a “necessary wake-up call.”

On the same days, in contrast to Macron’s recent policy statements, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni spoke out against the deployment of Western troops in Ukraine.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine