NATO allies are discussing the possibility of sending military instructors to Ukraine to train Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel, which could more directly involve the United States and Europe in the war, The New York Times (NYT) wrote on Thursday, May 16.

It is noted that the shortage of instructors in Ukraine has reached a critical point, and the situation on the battlefield has seriously deteriorated, as Russia accelerated its offensive to take advantage of delays in the supply of American weapons. As a result, Ukrainian officials have asked their counterparts from the United States and NATO to help train 150,000 recruits closer to the front line for faster deployment.

The publication says that the White House is adamant that American troops, including instructors, will not be deployed on the territory of Ukraine. The Joe Biden Administration has called on NATO allies not to send their troops either.

However, according to the NYT, head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Charles Brown, believes that sending instructors over time looks inevitable. At the same time, being in Ukraine, NATO instructors may be put at risk. In this case, it will most likely have to be decided whether to use air defense systems to protect instructors instead of critical Ukrainian infrastructure near the battlefield.