French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have floated the idea of an initial partial ceasefire in Ukraine.
Macron said this in an interview with the French media outlet Le Figaro.
The politician does not believe in the hypothetical truce concluded between the US and Russia. He is convinced that Putin seeks the demilitarization of Ukraine. As an alternative, Macron and Starmer propose a “ceasefire in the air, at sea and in the energy infrastructure sector” that would last a month.
“We know how to measure [compliance with the agreement]. You have to understand that today’s front line [of the war in Ukraine] is the equivalent of the Paris-Budapest line. In the event of a ceasefire, it would be very difficult to verify whether the [land] front line is being respected,” the French president explained.
According to the leader, European peacekeeping troops will not be on Ukrainian soil "in the coming weeks". They will only be deployed "at a later stage".
"The question is how we will use this time to try to reach an acceptable ceasefire with negotiations that will last several weeks and then with the deployment of forces," Emmanuel Macron added.
He emphasized that the allies want peace in Ukraine, but they do not want it at any cost and without guarantees.
Peacekeeping troops in Ukraine
Keir Starmer said his country was ready to deploy troops to Ukraine to enforce any peace deal. Emmanuel Macron organized the first emergency meeting with EU leaders on February 17, amid the fact that the US inormed about the start of negotiations with Russia to end the war in Ukraine without the participation of Europe and Kyiv.
One of the key issues was sending troops to Ukraine to monitor a possible peace deal. This was also the main argument of the evening. Macron proposed placing European peacekeeping forces behind the future demarcation line in Ukraine, rather than directly on it. Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland opposed it.
After the summit, the Commander-in-Chief of the Swiss Armed Forces, Thomas Süssli, stated that his country could provide troops for a future peacekeeping mission in Ukraine if a request is received and the government agrees.
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said that his country is also ready to send peacekeepers to Ukraine for post-war security.
The Bulgarian Parliament has adopted a declaration that the Bulgarian Armed Forces will not participate in military operations in Ukraine.
Romania could become a transit center for Western peacekeeping troops in Ukraine. This decision is currently not supported by the countryʼs parliament.
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