A group of European countries is quietly developing a plan to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine due to concerns about changing U.S. priorities on security on the continent, The Associated Press reported on Feb. 14.
The news came amid ongoing discussions among Western countries about the possible deployment of peacekeeping forces if a ceasefire agreement is reached between Ukraine and Russia. The U.S. has repeatedly said it wouldn't send its troops to Ukraine, pushing for Europe to take initiative.
France and Britain are leading the initiative of putting "boots on the ground" in Ukraine, according to the Associated Press.
Estonia's Defense Minister Hanno Pevklur told the Associated Press that European allies are "in a very early stage" of developing the plan to deploy peacekeeping troops to Ukraine.
Pevklur said that it is "critical" for the allies to understand the contact line in Ukraine before devising a plan.
According to Pevklur, if the Russian and Ukrainian armies reduce their forces to a "couple of thousand" on each side, it will not be a problem for Europe "to also be there." But implementing the plan will be much harder if there is a "boiling conflict."
Earlier reports from The Wall Street Journal indicated that U.S. President Donald Trump’s team is weighing a plan to delay Ukraine's NATO membership by at least 20 years in exchange for continued Western arms supplies and the deployment of European peacekeepers to monitor a ceasefire.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Jan. 18 that Germany may consider contributing forces to such a mission, while U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed on Jan. 16 that he had discussed the matter with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Moscow has strongly opposed the idea. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova warned on Jan. 23 that deploying a NATO peacekeeping contingent to Ukraine could lead to "uncontrolled escalation."
Kateryna Hodunova
(Updated: )
