Ukraine-Russia war live: Kyiv troops withdraw from villages as Nato says no plans for soldiers on the ground

Ukraine-Russia war live: Kyiv troops withdraw from villages as Nato says no plans for soldiers on the ground

French President Emmanuel Macron said Europe should be ‘ready in a few years’ time for Russia to attack’

Russian forces clear out abandoned military equipment after Ukrainian troops' retreat from Avdiivka

Volodymyr Zelensky’s troops have withdrawn from two key villages in eastern Ukraine as Nato said it had no plans to send soldiers to Ukraine.

Kyiv’s troops withdrew from Severne and Stepove near Avdiivka, which was captured earlier this month by Russian forces.

“Our forces withdrew from the small villages of Sievierne and Stepove. Heavy battles for Sievierne went on yesterday in the evening and night,” the Ukrainian military said.

It comes as Nato said it had no plans to send troops to Ukraine following French president Emmanuel Macron saying he “could not rule out” sending Western forces into Ukraine.

The comments, reiterated by Downing Street, followed similar remarks from Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic.

On Monday night, Emmanual Macron said that he “could not rule out” sending Western forces into Ukraine. He was speaking after a meeting of 25 European leaders in Paris, suggesting there was consensus over this issue among those present. The response, however, appears to suggest the opposite.

The Kremlin, reacting to Mr Macron’s comments, warned that Western personnel involvement in Ukraine would make war with Nato “inevitable”.