Europe is working quietly on the plan of sending troops to Ukraine after the war - AP
A group of European countries concerned that US security priorities are in other areas, work secretly on the plan of sending troops to Ukraine to help ensure the implementation of any future peace agreement with Russia. About it writes Associated Press. Countries involved in discussions, including the United Kingdom and France, do not disclose details because they do not want to give preference to Russian President Vladimir Putin if he agrees to negotiate the war.
President Vladimir Zelensky needs guarantees that Ukraine's security will be provided with the best protection, as noted, it would be a member of NATO, which has long been promised Kiev, but the United States has removed this option from the agenda.
"I will not resort to the details of specific opportunities, but I agree that if there is peace, there should be some security guarantees for Ukraine, and the United Kingdom will play its role in this," the Associated Press quotes the Great Prime Minister's statement Britain Kira Starmer.
Europeans began to study what type of strength they may need about a year ago, but the feeling of urgency increased against the background of fears that US President Donald Trump could go against them and perhaps even against Ukraine to conclude a deal with Putin. In December, after the election of Trump, but before his admission, a group of European leaders and ministers met with Zelensky at the residence of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels.
They came from the United Kingdom, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland. Higher European Union officials were also present. Negotiations were based on the idea nominated by French President Emmanuel Macron in early 2024. At that time, his refusal to exclude the possibility of the introduction of troops into the territory of Ukraine provoked a violent reaction, especially from the leaders of Germany and Poland.
Macron seemed isolated on the European stage, but since then, notes the Associated Press, his plan is gaining popularity. However, what these forces will have and who will participate in them will depend on the terms of the peace agreement and other factors. For example, in Italy there are constitutional restrictions on the use of their forces abroad.
In this case, the Netherlands will need permission of parliament, as well as Germany, whose position can change after the election on February 23, which will lead to the formation of a new government. Poland is also cautious in view of its rather difficult relations with Ukraine. "We are at a very early stage," said Estonia's Defense Minister Hanno, Pepuce Agency Associated Press on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
According to Pevkur, European allies are "critical" to understand what a collision line will look like before developing a plan. If Russia and Ukraine cuts their forces along the front line to "several thousand" on both sides, "for Europe is not a problem also to be present there," said Makur, noting that it will be much more difficult if "conflict is still boiling" . The composition and role of forces will be determined by what peace treaty will be reached.
If Russia and Ukraine are able to agree on the conditions as the negotiations are moving, it is likely that smaller safety measures and less forces are required. However, experts and officials warn that in the current state of affairs, Europeans should deploy a powerful and significant contingent, not a group of peacekeepers like "UN" blue helmets "with rifles.
"It should be a real force," the former US Army Commander in Europe Ben Hodges said in January, noting that Russia will probably try to test "peacekeepers" by breaking the agreements. Therefore, the forces sent to Ukraine should have aviation, large land forces, drones, anti -air and missile defense.
The retired French general Dominic Trinkan, the former head of the French military mission at the UN, agreed that the UN peacekeepers are better suited "for deployment in areas that are much more stable. " According to him, a similar operation with the participation of soldiers collected from all over the world will take about a year. Latvia's Defense Minister Andris Prauds said the AP agency that it is also necessary to train Ukrainian soldiers and invest in the defense industry of Ukraine.
The nature of the peace agreement will determine the size and location of the European contingent. Zelensky insisted on a number of at least 100,000-150,000 servicemen. The media reports suggested that there were 30,000-40,000 people. However, diplomats and officials did not confirm any of these figures. Ukraine also needs air support, not just land troops. And obviously, the Associated Press notes that it will be difficult for Europeans to raise great forces quickly.
At the same time, Macron stated that the idea of deploying huge forces "far -fetched". "We need to do what is appropriate, realistic, well thought out, well and agreed," he said. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegset insisted on "rigid international control over the touch line", referring to the front line of about 1000 kilometers in length. However, Europeans do not agree as it would require too many troops.
And almost everyone agrees that "American support" is needed, as European armed forces have long relied on logistics, air transport and other US military capabilities. In NATO Hegsset headquarters, he began to describe the conditions on which the US could agree to the placement of forces that could help Ukraine provide reliable security guarantees.
"Any security guarantee should be supported by the capable European and non-European troops," Hegset said, specifying that they should be deployed in Ukraine as part of NATO's mission. Putin stated that he had partly launched a full -scale invasion that the NATO territory was too close to Russia's borders. Therefore, the Kremlin head is unlikely to agree to any operation conducted by the world's largest military organization.
Any European allies that are involved will not benefit from the NATO's collective guarantee, if they are attacked, Hegset said. He also stressed that US troops will not be housed in Ukraine, while not revealing what role the United States can play. From the point of view of Ukraine, as the Associated Press notes, the operation for Europe will simply not work for Europe. "Any security guarantees are impossible without Americans," Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga warned.
We will remind, during his speech at the Munich Security Conference, US Vice President James David Vance stated that Washington hopes to play his role in peace talks between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. However, he is more concerned about the state of affairs in Europe. Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin is gathering an experienced team to negotiate with Donald Trump representatives to end the war in Ukraine.