NATO Will Not Assist French Troops if Attacked by Russia in Ukraine – German Parliament
According to Germany's Federal Parliament, Bundestag, the deployment of French troops to Ukraine does not involve NATO, and any attack on a NATO member (in this case, France) would not constitute a violation of Article 5 of the NATO Treaty.
(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — In what is characterized as a slap to France, the German Federal Parliament, known as the Bundestag, has labeled the deployment of French troops and military equipment to Ukraine as a unilateral and independent from NATO.
According to the Bundestag, the deployment of French troops to Ukraine does not involve NATO, and any attack on a NATO member (in this case, France) would not constitute a violation of Article 5 of the NATO Treaty.
Article 5 of the NATO Treaty states that if any NATO member is attacked, it is considered an attack on all NATO member states and will trigger a collective defense response from the alliance.
In other words, if French troops deployed to Ukraine are attacked by Russian forces, NATO will not provide assistance or defense.
“If a NATO member state acts alone – outside of NATO operations and beyond the NATO military structure – then NATO as a whole or NATO allies will not become part of that conflict,” according to a Bundestag research unit, as reported by local media outlets.
The Bundestag research unit issued its opinion after being asked to do so by members of the AFD party (Alternative for Germany), Beatrix Von Storch, who sought answers regarding the possibility of NATO member states independently deciding to deploy their troops to Ukraine.
Bundestag experts concluded that any unilateral or independent deployment of troops would not constitute a violation of Article 5 of the NATO Treaty if they were attacked in combat.
Germany indeed disagrees with the aggressive stance taken by France, especially regarding the deployment of NATO troops to Ukraine, as it fears it could escalate the conflict between Moscow and Kiev, potentially leading to the outbreak of World War III.
According to Sergey Naryshkin, the Head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, France is preparing to deploy approximately 2,000 of its troops to Ukraine to assist the country in dealing with Russian military.
The number of 2,000 troops is just the beginning, and their numbers will be increased.
During a conference in Paris last month, French President Emmanuel Macron did not rule out the possibility of Western countries deploying troops to Ukraine.
Speaking in Prague on March 5th, the French President stated that European countries cannot act like “cowards” when facing Russia.
Macron’s suggestion has angered Russian President Vladimir Putin.
French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu reportedly stated that Paris will provide more armored vehicles to Ukraine this year and next.
NATO member states will also send ASTER 30 missiles to complement the SAMP/T air defense system, which Ukraine has already used to defend its airspace from increased Russian airstrikes.
The SAMP/T air defense system is capable of targeting aerial threats such as fighter jets, drones, or cruise missiles from a distance of 120km. — DSA
