A group of European countries is privately working on a plan to send troops to Ukraine to help with Ukraineʼs post-war security.
This is reported by the Associated Press, citing sources.
Britain and France are leading the effort, but few other details have been released. The countries involved in the talks are reluctant to give Russian leader Vladimir Putin an advantage if he agrees to negotiate an end to the war.
It is currently unknown which other countries will be involved in sending troops to Ukraine. The AP points out that Italy has constitutional restrictions on the use of its armed forces, while the Netherlands and Germany need a "green light" from parliament.
"I wonʼt talk about specific possibilities, but I recognize that if there is peace, there must be some security guarantees for Ukraine, and the UK has a role to play in that," British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Thursday.
Europeans began considering what forces might be needed about a year ago, fueled by concerns that US President Donald Trump might bypass Europe or even Ukraine to make a deal with Putin.
- The discussion about the possibility of sending European troops to Ukraine began in early 2024, after statements by French President Emmanuel Macron. In February, he said that in the future, sending troops from NATO countries to Ukraine should not be ruled out. And in June, a number of media outlets, citing sources, wrote that Macron was looking for allies to send instructors to Ukraine and wanted to create a coalition. The EU did not officially support this idea.
For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine please follow us on X.