Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for the Russian president, stated that the presence of NATO troops on the territory of Ukraine would lead to a direct conflict between the Alliance and the Russian Federation, escalating the situation.

"In this case, we should not talk about the probability but about the inevitability [of a direct war with NATO – ed.]. That's how we assess it," said Peskov to journalists, responding to questions about the risks of escalation and direct conflict with NATO in the event of the Alliance's military presence on the territory of Ukraine, as reported by Russian Interfax.

Peskov noted that the discussion by Western countries about the possibility of sending their military to Ukraine is a new element.

"We have paid attention to the fact that the issue of sending the military to Ukraine has indeed been discussed, and we have also noted that there is a very rich spectrum of opinions on this matter; there is really no consensus," said Peskov. 

He also stated that Moscow knows President Macron's position on "the need to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia."

French President Emmanuel Macron has not ruled out the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine in the future after a meeting in Paris on Monday, emphasising that there is currently no consensus among allies.

Polish President Andrzej Duda said that Kyiv's allies have not reached an agreement to send troops to Ukraine, as French President Emmanuel Macron had previously suggested.

After Macron's statement, Czechia, Poland, and Sweden stated that they are not considering the idea of sending their troops to Ukraine.