The commanders of European states from the "Coalition of the Willing" have developed a detailed plan for the deployment of troops in Ukraine.
WSJ writes about this with reference to a European diplomat.
The plan includes two groups of ground forces: one to train and assist the Ukrainian military, and the second, a separate support force to deter a future Russian invasion.
The current plan already commits to sending over 10 000 military personnel. Air patrols of the skies will be carried out by air forces based outside Ukraine.
According to the source, the plan takes into account the suggestions of some American generals who participated in the discussions, including the Supreme Allied Commander Europe Alexus Hrinkiewicz.
“Coalition of the Willing” summit: What is known?
The summit took place on Thursday, September 4, in Paris in a hybrid format. It was initiated by the leaders of Great Britain and France, Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron.
The meeting was attended by 34 leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The summit participants primarily discussed security guarantees for Ukraine, and at the end, they called the US President Donald Trump.
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.
Donald Trump stated on August 20 that Washington is ready to provide air support to Ukraine if a potential peace deal with Russia is concluded.
The Financial Times, citing sources, described a preliminary plan for security guarantees for Ukraine. It includes three lines of defense:
- a demilitarized zone that could be patrolled by neutral peacekeepers from a third country;
- a defense line behind it that would be patrolled by Ukrainian troops;
- a third line where a European deterrent force would be stationed with logistical support from the United States.
And in late August, The Telegraph reported that Trump was discussing the possibility of deploying American private military companies in Ukraine. They could build frontline fortifications and military bases, as well as protect American businesses in Ukraine.
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