Japan, Sweden say they're ready to contribute to security guarantees for Ukraine
Editor's Note: This story has been updated to include additional information.
Japan, Sweden, and other countries signaled on Aug. 19 they are prepared to contribute to a multinational package of security guarantees for Ukraine, joining a coalition of more than 30 countries working to prevent Russia from launching a future invasion under any potential ceasefire deal.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Tokyo is weighing its role in the "coalition of the willing," a group that includes some NATO states and Ukraine's key allies.
The coalition led by U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron aims to create a multinational force to monitor a future peace agreement in Ukraine.
"We'll watch the ongoing discussions closely, and while carefully considering what Japan can and should do — including various legal and capability aspects — we'll play an appropriate role," Ishiba told reporters, according to the Japan Times.
In Stockholm, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also emphasized that his country was ready to play a role in the security guarantees. Kristersson told public broadcaster Sveriges Radio that the situation is "critical," adding that Sweden could contribute with air surveillance and naval resources to enhance Ukraine's defenses.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda also said his country was ready to put troops on the ground in Ukraine as part of a deterrence force.
"We are ready to contribute as many troops as the parliament allows for peacekeeping, and also military equipment," he said during a television broadcast.
Poland, however, said it would not be sending troops as a future security guarantee for Kyiv. Polish troops will instead play a role in the "coalition of the willing" by assisting with logistics and infrastructure, monitoring the Poland-Belarus border, and protecting NATO's eastern flank.
"In this process, dozens, hundreds, even thousands of Polish soldiers will be deployed on Polish territory to protect allied troops stationed in Poland or, alternatively, to protect allied troops stationed in Ukraine," Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said.
European leaders have accelerated negotiations on security guarantees for Ukraine in recent weeks, responding to Zelensky's request for binding assurances that Russia will not attack again if a ceasefire is reached.
Macron said Aug. 18 that the guarantees would not include NATO membership but would rely on a strong Ukrainian military backed by allied commitments.
Officials told the Kyiv Independent on Aug. 19 that participating nations could hold a series of meetings in the coming days to finalize details.
Bloomberg reported the same day that a package might be agreed this week, with discussions reportedly including potential deployments of British and French troops, alongside smaller contingents from other European states.
U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested the U.S. could provide air support as part of the guarantees, but ruled out sending American ground forces.
