Estonia is "seriously" considering sending its troops to western Ukraine for rear-area operations.

Written by Henrik Rothen

May.13 - 2024 9:25 PM CET

The Estonian government is "seriously" discussing the possibility of deploying its troops to the western regions of Ukraine, in order to replace Ukrainian soldiers who can then move to the front lines.

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Madis Roll, the National Security Advisor to the President of Estonia, stated this in an interview with Breaking Defense according to Hromadske.ua.

According to Roll, Estonia would like to take such a step as part of a full-fledged NATO mission "to demonstrate broader unified strength and resolve."

However, Estonia might also do this as part of a smaller coalition of countries.

"We must consider all possibilities. We should not limit our thinking regarding what we can do," Roll said, adding that NATO countries currently opposed to sending troops to Ukraine might change their stance "over time."

More context In February, during a meeting he convened with Ukraine's partner countries in Paris, President Macron discussed sending French troops to Ukraine. However, he noted that the countries have not yet reached a consensus on this issue.

"But we cannot rule anything out. We will do whatever is necessary to ensure that Russia cannot win this war," Macron said at the time.

Subsequently, French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné explained that French soldiers might be sent to Ukraine to assist with tasks that do not involve combat.

Despite this, several other NATO member countries have already stated that they are not considering sending their troops to Ukraine. This position has been expressed by officials in the White House, as well as in Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Spain, the Czech Republic, Poland, and others.