German Defense Minister refuses to send troops to Ukraine

Vienna: German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has refused to send his ground forces to Ukraine. Just a day earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron had suggested that European countries could do so. “There is no option for the Federal Republic of Germany to send troops on the ground,” Pistorius said at a press conference after meeting with Austrian Defense Minister Claudia Tanner in Vienna on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported. Tanner also called Macron’s comments a “worrying sign.” Macron told a gathering of European leaders on Monday that although there was no official consensus among European leaders, the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine “should not be ruled out”. He said the West would do everything to ensure that Russia does not win in Ukraine.