European voters oppose sending peacekeepers to Ukraine

The plan to send European military personnel to Ukraine as peacekeepers after a peace agreement between Kyiv and Moscow is facing skepticism from citizens of European countries.

This is reported by The Wall Street Journal.

European leaders are faced with the fact that many voters oppose any deployment of troops in Ukraine. Eastern European countries, in turn, are reluctant to pull their forces away from their own borders. There is also significant resistance in Italy and Germany, which still “feel the burden of guilt” for the outbreak of World War II.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently said that during consultations with parliament on a possible military deployment in Ukraine, the reaction from politicians had been lukewarm. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadeful said that such a deployment would overwhelm the capabilities of the Bundeswehr, which is already forming an armored brigade in Lithuania to protect NATO’s eastern flank. A poll by the Institute for New Social Responses (INSA) found that 56% of respondents opposed German involvement.

Even in France, a major proponent of ground forces, public support depends on a final peace deal, not just a ceasefire. A March poll by research firm Elabe found that 67 percent of respondents supported sending French troops if Kyiv and Moscow reached an agreement. Without one, 68 percent opposed sending troops.

French President Emmanuel Macron has sought to reassure the public that the contingent will be stationed far from combat zones. Macron and other European leaders have long said that frontline defense should remain the responsibility of the well-armed Ukrainian army.

Britainʼs participation is also conditional. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said that such a security force would only be sent if the US promised to provide military support to British troops in the event of a Russian attack. According to polls, most Britons are ready for a peacekeeping mission, but do not want to provoke a direct confrontation with Russia.

Meanwhile, the grandiose plans for a 30 000-strong peacekeeping mission by the Coalition of the Willing have been scaled back, in part due to a shortage of British troops. France and Britain together plan to send between 6,000 and 10 000 soldiers. However, officials say the UK will focus on naval and air operations, including patrolling the skies and seas to deter Russian provocations. Any ground presence is likely to focus on training Ukrainian troops.

Poland, one of Ukraineʼs biggest aid donors at the start of the full-scale war, has drawn a red line against sending its troops to Ukraine, even as part of a broader US-led security mission. Warsaw argues that such a move could escalate the conflict and spill over into Polish territory.

According to a United Surveys poll conducted in March 2025, 58.5% of respondents are categorically against sending Polish troops to Ukraine, another 28% said that Poland "probably should not" do this.

However, the leaders of the Netherlands, Denmark and Estonia have said they are ready to send their troops. They believe that the deployment of troops in Ukraine is vital for European security, as Russia will move further if Kyiv falls. The presence of European troops in Ukraine would also demonstrate that Europe is serious about defending Ukraine, while Washington is unsure what security guarantees to provide.

European officials say it is difficult to convince the public of the feasibility of the deployment without a clear signal from the United States that its military will support it. Despite active diplomatic talks in recent weeks, it is still unclear what kind of help the United States can provide. Trump has ruled out sending American troops directly, but has said the United States could provide air defense and air support to Ukraine.

The push for even a limited European mission has also faced criticism. For example, after European leaders met with Trump in Washington, which created momentum for US support, Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini criticized Macron for pushing the idea.

“If you want it, go yourself,” he told the French leader at the time.

Security guarantees for Ukraine

At the talks in Washington involving Trump, Zelensky, and a number of European leaders on August 18, the issue of Ukrainian security guarantees was key. In particular, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that the parties would begin by considering guarantees similar to those in Article 5 of the NATO Charter.

After the meeting, Trump wrote that the parties discussed what guarantees various European countries would provide under US coordination.

Zelensky reported a package of Ukrainian proposals for the purchase of American weapons worth $90 billion — they should become part of security guarantees.

Later, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that after the war, Ukraine would have the right to conclude security agreements not only with the United States and European countries. Washington is currently working on this.

The WSJ also reported that Rubio could lead a working group that would draft security guarantees for Ukraine. The group would consist of national security advisers and NATO representatives. The security guarantees would include the following components: military presence, air defense, armaments, and monitoring of the cessation of hostilities.

Bloomberg sources also reported that about 10 countries are ready to send their forces to Ukraine as a security guarantee within the framework of a future peace agreement. In particular, the United Kingdom and France are ready to send hundreds of their soldiers, who will be stationed in Ukraine, but away from the front.

And Donald Trump stated on August 20 that Washington is ready to provide air support to Ukraine if a potential peace agreement with Russia is concluded.

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