MOSCOW, April 9. /TASS/. Russia expects self-preservation instinct to kick in in NATO in regards to sending troops to Ukraine, head of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s 2nd CIS department Alexey Polischuk told TASS.

"Should Western troops appear in Ukraine, the risk of a direct armed standoff between NATO and Russia will increase multifold. We do not want such development. We hope that reason and self-preservation instinct will prevail in the West eventually," the diplomat noted.

He underscored that, despite the attempts of certain NATO states to use the alliance as a tool of confrontation with Russia, "its leadership, judging by the statements, comprehends the potential threats of the bloc’s involvement in the Ukrainian conflict, and tries to keep its distance at this stage."

On February 26, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that representatives of about 20 Western states raised the issue of sending group troops to Ukraine during the meeting in Paris. According to Macron, the participants were unable to reach a consensus on this issue. After the conference, representatives of most member states said they have no plans to send troops to Ukraine.