MADRID. June 17 (Interfax) - Madrid is opposed to the idea of sending troops to Ukraine, as it does not want to see the conflict's escalation, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles said on Monday.
Robles said she was "firmly against" the idea of sending Spanish troops to Ukraine, as the presence of NATO personnel in that country could provoke the conflict's escalation, EFE reported.
"We need to act cautiously so as not to provide a pretext for such an escalation," she said.
NATO has emphasized the importance of avoiding such an escalation since the very start of the Ukraine crisis, she said.
Robles said she respected the position of European countries that did not rule out the possibility of sending their troops to Ukraine to train and instruct Ukrainian service members there.