Skopje, 12 March 2025 (MIA) – Macedonian soldiers will not be deployed in Ukraine, as no one has requested that from us as a country, Defence Minister Vlado Misajlovski said Wednesday after visiting the Army’s First Infantry Battalion at the “Chede Filipovski – Dame” barracks in Kichevo.

“As a NATO member state, we are the fourth country in terms of the assistance provided for Ukraine’s equipment. Recently, the government has allocated an additional package, but now the geopolitical situation has changed, and the message we’re hearing is that a peace proposal is on the table. We are a country that is focused on peace,” said Misajlovski, answering journalists’ questions.

Misajlovski noted that a peaceful solution should be seen as the greatest opportunity, as it also includes collective security.

“First, there is a need for peace, and then there will be a need for further support to Ukraine, particularly for the country’s rebuilding in infrastructure and capacity. But first, a peaceful solution must be reached, and we stand firmly behind a peaceful solution,” Misajlovski noted.

He confirmed that Major General Sashko Lafchiski, the Army Chief of Staff, took part in a meeting in Paris on Tuesday within the framework of the Paris Defence and Strategy Forum, organized by the Chiefs of the General Staff of France and the United Kingdom. Military representatives from 30 EU and/or NATO countries, including the UK and Turkey, participated in the meeting, with French President Emmanuel Macron as the host.

"The Chief of Staff attended the meeting yesterday, and we had several discussions. However, there are different opinions among different countries, and new steps and plans are being discussed on how to establish peace and how to act in the future. But these are just major shifts by different countries, and no strict solution has been provided for what will happen in the near future. It’s good that everyone had their own opinions, and we express our position that we are in favour of a peaceful resolution, for peace," Misajlovski said.

After the one-day talks between Washington and Kyiv in Jeddah, Ukraine accepted the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire. Kaja Kallas, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, welcomed the joint statement issued by Ukraine and the US following their meeting in Saudi Arabia, which outlined proposals for a ceasefire agreement, humanitarian efforts, and the continued intelligence sharing and US security assistance. She noted that the EU is ready to completely take on its role in supporting next steps, together with Ukraine, the US and other partners.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not rule out a phone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, following the US – Ukraine talks in Jeddah.

EU countries have already given the green light to a plan aimed at mobilizing up to €800 billion over four years to strengthen the continent's defence and assist Ukraine.

Photo: MIA archive, Ministry of Defence