Paris and London are exploring options to support Ukraine in potential peace talks with Russia, including deploying French and U.K. troops to monitor a ceasefire along the contact line, a senior NATO official told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
The official, who requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly, noted that these discussions are happening in individual capitals, not within the formal NATO structure.
The aim is to prepare for various scenarios, ensuring European countries are ready to assist Kyiv if the new U.S. administration requests greater European involvement. According to the official, the proposals also seek to secure European allies' participation in peace talks that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump could mediate.
French and British discussions on leading a military coalition in Ukraine have gained momentum, with Le Monde reporting renewed talks about deploying troops. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told BBC News that while France is not currently planning to send troops into combat, the country "does not discard any option."
"(France) will support Ukraine as intensely and as long as necessary. Why? Because it is our security that is at stake. Each time the Russian army progresses by one square kilometer, the threat gets one square kilometer closer to Europe," Barrot said.
The idea of sending Western troops to Ukraine resurfaced in February when French President Emmanuel Macron first raised the possibility. He revisited the topic in May, suggesting that if Russian forces breached Ukraine’s front line and Kyiv requested assistance, France would have to seriously consider deploying troops.
The debate over the role of Western military involvement in Ukraine highlights a broader divide among European leaders on how best to support Kyiv in the face of Russian aggression.
Speaking at the Halifax International Security Forum, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur stressed that Ukraine needs greater investment in its military production capabilities, not foreign troops on its battlefield.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn
(Updated: )
