FT Reports Western Forces in Ukraine, HUR Says ‘Foreigners Here, but Only Voluntarily’

Following French President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial statement that “he couldn’t rule out sending troops to Ukraine,” the British daily Financial Times (FT), citing a senior European defense official, reported that special forces from Western countries are already on the ground in Ukraine.

“Everyone knows there are Western special forces in Ukraine – they’ve just not acknowledged it officially,” the anonymous source told FT.

Speaking to Kyiv Post, Andriy Yusov, spokesman for Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR), neither confirmed nor dismissed claims of Western countries fielding special forces in Ukraine. He limited himself to saying that citizens of other countries fight in Ukraine only voluntarily and by their consent.

“Citizens of other states, by their consent, are fighting with honor against the Russian occupiers, in particular, as part of the International Legion of the HUR of Ukraine,” Yusov told Kyiv Post.

“This is happening publicly and within the law. This is what we can confirm. As for rumors and anonymous sources, we will withhold comment,” he added.

French President Emmanuel Macron has broken a major taboo by floating the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine, raising the stakes in a showdown with a nuclear-armed Russia.

Hosting a conference of European leaders on Monday night, the French leader refused to rule out the dispatch of Western troops to Ukraine as Russia’s invasion stretches into its third year and Kyiv’s military campaign appears to be faltering.

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EXPLAINER: Consular Service Suspension for Ukrainian Men Abroad – What We Know So Far

Though the suspension is supposed to be temporary, many Ukrainians have complained of its abruptness and criticized the government for its divisive policy.

A spokesperson for the White House said Tuesday that the US would not send soldiers to fight in Ukraine, responding to Macron’s comments that he “would not exclude” sending Western troops there. The message was echoed by many Washington officials.

French officials explained to the FT that “the French president did not propose sending Western troops to the front en masse, but that there is no longer a taboo on their participation.”

The official elaborated that “Western troops could potentially be involved in limited missions, such as demining, maintenance and repair of weapons systems, or helping to protect the borders of other countries threatened by Russia.”

In April 2023, leaked US military documents reportedly indicated that the UK and other countries, including the US and France, had deployed about 100 special forces in Ukraine.

According to the Guardian, citing the leaked files: “US officials assessed at the time that of the 97 special forces from NATO countries active in Ukraine, 50 were British. This is considerably higher than the number from the US and France, which were said to have deployed 14 and 15 special forces respectively.”

At the time, the British Ministry of Defense did not comment on these leaks or information about British military personnel in Ukraine. However, in a tweet, the department said that the leak “demonstrated a serious level of inaccuracy.”