"I am saying it [sending Western troops to Ukraine] is not a priority today anyway," Dedonder told La Libre newspaper in an interview released on Saturday, when a journalist noted that she had not ruled out sending troops in the future.
Belgium does not want to confront Russia directly, the minister said. At the same time, it is important to "do everything so that Ukraine does not lose," she said, adding that Belgium prioritized providing material support and training for Ukrainian soldiers.
The participants of a recent Paris-hosted conference on Ukraine discussed the possibility of training Ukrainian soldiers on the territory of Ukraine, but did not reach a consensus on the issue, Dedonder said.
After a Paris-hosted conference on Ukraine on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron said Western leaders had discussed the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine and, although no consensus had been reached in this regard, nothing could be ruled out. German officials were quick to clarify that no consensus had been reached and that Germany would never put boots on the ground in Ukraine.
Western countries have been providing military and financial aid to Kiev since the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. The Kremlin has consistently warned against continued arms deliveries to Kiev, saying it would lead to further escalation of the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russia.