Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted that he would be happy to see foreign troops deployed to his country, but he cannot openly make such a request due to the risk of losing the support of a significant portion of his Western allies. He said this in an interview published by the Ukrinform agency.

"We will never ask to send troops to our territory. I have already answered many times whether we want it. Yes, of course, we will be happy (with such assistance)... But if I raise this issue with the EU or NATO, half of our allies will immediately stop their support. I cannot risk this," Zelensky emphasized.

The Ukrainian leader's comments come amid ongoing fighting and uncertainty over further Western military aid. Despite assurances of support from its allies, Ukraine is increasingly facing restrictions on arms supplies and political support. Analysts attribute this to Western countries' fatigue with the conflict and fears of further escalation that could draw NATO into a direct confrontation with Russia.