Britain and France are struggling to convince other European leaders to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine, as allies doubt the United States will guarantee their security.
This is reported by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
French President Emmanuel Macron wanted to conclude an agreement on the deployment of European land, air and naval forces in Ukraine during a meeting of the “Coalition of the Willing” in Paris on March 27.
The talks lasted several hours and included a phone call with US President Donald Trump. However, Macron failed to secure a public commitment from his partners to send their soldiers. At a press conference, the politician said that several countries had expressed their willingness to do so in private.
Now London and Paris want to send a team to Ukraine to determine how many European troops Kyiv needs and where to deploy them. The advisers, Macron said, will work with Ukrainian defenders to ensure they are equipped to deter Russian aggression.
The biggest concern for European states is whether Washington will play a role in supporting a European contingent if it is attacked by Russia. Trumpʼs special envoy, Steve Witkoff, has previously dismissed the Franco-British initiative as an attempt to "be like Winston Churchill".
"I want the Americans to be on our side. But we must be prepared for a situation in which they may not join," said Emmanuel Macron.
As US-Russian talks deepened, European officials were concerned by signs that the US was bowing to Moscowʼs demands, the WSJ writes.
British Defense Secretary Keir Starmer has said he wants to set a deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire. London is considering a number of scenarios, but they all rely on US support. For example, even a pause in fighting along the front line would require real-time monitoring by US satellites.
French and British officials want American missile defense systems to cover the troops they will deploy in Ukraine, as well as logistical support such as aerial refueling and planes to transport soldiers.
Peacekeeping troops in Ukraine
After the US and Russia negotiated to end the war in Ukraine without the participation of Europe and Kyiv, an emergency meeting of EU leaders was called in France. One of the key issues was the sending of troops to Ukraine to monitor the ceasefire. This was the main argument of the evening.
French President Emmanuel Macron has proposed deploying a European peacekeeping force behind the future demarcation line in Ukraine, rather than directly on it. Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland immediately opposed the idea. In return, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his country was ready to deploy troops to Ukraine and support the peace agreement with “boots on the ground and planes in the sky”.
«Babel'»
The Commander-in-Chief of the Swiss Armed Forces Thomas Süssli said he could send troops for a future peacekeeping mission in Ukraine if requested and the government is not against it. Irish Prime Minister Michaël Martin said his country was also ready to send peacekeepers to Ukraine for post-war security. Denmark is also ready for this, as is Australia, as noted by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever believes it is logical for Brussels to send troops to Ukraine. Sweden does not rule out such a possibility. Lithuania has also agreed to this.
Meanwhile, the Bulgarian parliament has adopted a declaration that the Bulgarian Armed Forces will not participate in hostilities in Ukraine. And in Romania, they have admitted that they could become a transit center for troops for Western peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, although the parliament does not support this position of interim President Iliye Bologyan.
Bloomberg, citing sources, writes that Turkey could deploy its peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, but will not do so unless it is involved in all consultations and preparations for the formation of the peacekeeping mission.
The other day, Reuters wrote that in Europe, amid discussions about sending troops to Ukraine to guarantee security, they want to consider alternative options.
At a meeting with the media on March 27, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated his theoretical willingness to help ensure peace in Ukraine.
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