Top diplomat rules out US role in Ukraine peacekeeping mission

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield on Sunday ruled out the possibility of the U.S. taking part in peacekeeping operations inside Ukraine, reiterating that the Biden administration will not be sending American troops to the besieged country.

Co-anchor Jake Tapper on CNN’s “State of the Union” noted that President Biden will be traveling to Europe later this week to meet with NATO allies and asked Thomas-Greenfield if the U.S. would support sending NATO peacekeepers into Ukraine. Poland has stated that it plans to submit a proposal for a NATO peacekeeping mission in Ukraine.

“The president has been very clear that we will not put American troops on the ground in Ukraine. We don’t want to escalate this into a war with the United States,” Thomas-Greenfield said.

“But we will support our NATO allies,” she added. “We have troops, as you know, in NATO countries. And the president has made clear that if there is an attack on any of our NATO countries, under Article 5, that we will support those countries and defend those countries.”

Tapper pressed Thomas-Greenfield on the issue, asking if Biden was opposed only to sending U.S. troops or if his opposition included sending NATO troops, even without U.S. troops being involved.

“Again, I can’t preview what decisions will be made at this NATO conference and how NATO will respond to the Polish proposal,” Thomas-Greenfield replied. “What I can say is American troops will not be on the ground in Ukraine at this moment. The president has been clear on that. And other NATO countries may decide that they want to put troops inside of Ukraine. That will be a decision that they have to make.”