Estonia’s PM: NATO Troop Training in Ukraine Won't Trigger War With Russia

Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told the Financial Times (FT) that NATO allies should not fear that sending troops to Ukraine to train its soldiers would risk dragging the military alliance into war with Russia.

Estonia is one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters and Kyiv’s largest military donor when measured by share of gross domestic product.

Officials in Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia see their security as closely linked to Ukraine’s success, fearing that Ukraine’s defeat would embolden Putin to challenge NATO’s unity, especially in the Baltic region. These concerns are heightened by Moscow’s recent efforts to bolster its defense industry and expand its military presence in northwestern Russia.

Kallas said that some countries are already training soldiers on the ground in Ukraine and doing so at their own risk.

She revealed that if Russian forces attacked training personnel, it would not automatically trigger NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense clause, saying “I can’t possibly imagine that if somebody is hurt there, then those who have sent their people will say 'it’s Article Five. Let’s bomb Russia.”

“It is not how it works. It’s not automatic. So, these fears are not well-founded,” she added.

Kallas further disclosed that those who send personnel to assist Ukraine are aware of the risks involved, acknowledging that Ukraine is a war zone.

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Earlier this year, French President Emmanuel Macron suggested the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine, arguing it was important to keep the Kremlin uncertain about the extent of Western support for Kyiv. In response, most NATO members ruled out the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine.

Kallas mentioned that in Estonia, such a move would require parliamentary approval. “It is an open public debate, but I think we shouldn’t rule out anything right now,” she said.

Estonian PM said that training Ukraine’s forces on their territory, rather than elsewhere in Europe, would not be seen as escalatory, stating “Russia’s propaganda is all about being in a war with NATO, so they don’t need an excuse. Whatever we do on our side, if they want to attack, they will attack.”

Kallas also expressed concern that Ukraine’s allies lack a unified goal, with some aiming for a Ukrainian victory while others simply want to prevent its defeat.

She added, “Some say, ‘Ukrainians should not lose.’ Others say, ‘We have to work for Ukraine and victory.’ These are not the same thing. Our goal can only be victory, but Ukraine will define what that victory is.”

According to Kallas, Ukraine’s definition of victory is the full liberation of its territory.

As reported by FT, Kyiv needs to recruit and train hundreds of thousands of troops in the coming months, and it would be more efficient to do this in Ukraine rather than transporting soldiers and weaponry to Poland or Germany and back, according to Ukrainian and Western officials.

With Ukraine outgunned and outmanned by Russian forces, struggling to maintain its defensive lines against a larger and better-equipped army, European leaders are reconsidering how best to assist Kyiv.

General C. Q. Brown, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, suggested on Thursday that Europeans will “get there eventually, over time” regarding the deployment of more troops to Ukraine, the FT’s report read.

NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg said NATO has no plans to deploy troops to Ukraine, nor did Kyiv request the bloc to send boots on the ground.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian PM Denys Shmyhal said that reinforcements from Western military personnel could help Ukraine resist Russian forces in the future.

When asked about the potential deployment of additional troops from NATO countries, Shmyhal welcomed the notion, saying, “If the time comes, we will be absolutely grateful, and we will be happy.”

However, Shmyhal said that, for now, Ukraine primarily requires more military equipment from its partners rather than boots on the ground.