"First, to have a big operational support on Romanian territory, yes. To be part of the armies guaranteeing peace in Ukraine, no," Romanian President-elect Nicusor Dan told Politico.
"There is no reason to talk about (troops) at the moment, we are far from that. We want the weapons to stop, the killing to end," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said.
"We cannot allow NATO's military infrastructure to get that close to our borders," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
While U.S. President Donald Trump has refused to commit American troops, U.S. officials have reportedly opened the door to providing intelligence-sharing and logistical aid to the so-called "coalition of the willing."
Key developments on April 25: * High-ranking Russian general killed in car bombing near Moscow, as Witkoff meets with Putin * Full text of US peace proposal at odds with Ukrainian, EU positions, Reuters reports * Trump says Crimea 'will stay with Russia,' blames Ukraine's NATO aspirations for war * Putin, US envoy
Instead of placing troops near the front lines, the U.K. and France now reportedly aim to send military trainers to western Ukraine, fulfilling a commitment to deploy personnel without engaging in direct defense roles.
The U.S. does not call for reducing Ukraine's military capabilities and is not opposed to a European peacekeeping force in the country, Reuters reported on April 23, citing two undisclosed sources.
The European Union is considering sending "military advisors" to Ukraine to organize training for the Ukrainian military, European Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper said on April 16 at a press briefing in Brussels.
The U.K., France, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and another unnamed country stand ready to send their soldiers, while other leaders want to see a more detailed plan before making commitments, AFP reported.
Military planners in London and Paris believe such a deployment could discourage Russian President Vladimir Putin from launching future offensives.
The Trump administration has ruled out U.S. participation in the so-called "reassurance force," but London and Paris sought to convince Washington to at least provide airpower, intelligence support, or border surveillance as a backstop to the coalition's efforts.
Ukrainian, French, and British military officials have been discussing Ukraine’s requirements for a potential peacekeeping mission, with Ukraine aiming to secure peacekeepers to prevent future Russian aggression.
Key developments on April 3: * Russia plans to increase grouping in Ukraine by 150,000 troops in 2025, Ukrainian official says * US defense secretary to skip Ramstein summit for the first time, media reports * NATO assets may be used for peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, FT reports * 'Coalition of the Willing'
NATO's command and control structures could be used to deploy a so-called "reassurance force" to Ukraine, unnamed officials told the FT.
"(W)e will hold a meeting on Friday, there will be a meeting of our military teams among several countries, a narrow circle of countries. Those who will be ready to deploy a contingent in one form or another," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 1.
Military representatives from the "coalition of the willing" will meet in Ukraine later this week to discuss peacekeeping troops and security guarantees.
"I can't imagine any situation in which Germany would not be participating in whatever would be the result of negotiations of a ceasefire or even a peace," German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on March 27.
Over 30 countries have expressed willingness to contribute to the coalition's peacekeeping force, Starmer's spokesperson said on March 17.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has denied claims in the media that it considers participating in a possible peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, China's state-run newspaper Global Times reported on March 24.
"The inclusion of China in a 'coalition of the willing' could potentially increase Russia's acceptance of peacekeeping forces in Ukraine," an unnamed EU diplomatic source reportedly told Die Welt.
"If there is a strong group of European nations willing to provide security guarantees to Ukraine, my strong conviction is that (the) Czech Republic should be among them," Czech President Petr Pavel said on March 22.
The U.K. will host three more days of military planning sessions next week to prepare high-level plans on mobilizing a European-led "coalition of the willing" in the event of a ceasefire in Ukraine, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Office said on March 21.
"My country is ready to provide the necessary support," Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda told Bloomberg Television.
The proposal follows ongoing efforts by a "coalition of the willing" led by the U.K. and France, which aims to provide security guarantees to Ukraine.
We are at a critical moment for Europe, with continental security hanging in the balance. In late February, the United Kingdom announced plans to increase defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027. U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also recently suggested he is prepared to send British
"The UK expects more than 30 countries to be involved in the coalition of the willing," U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's spokesperson said on March 17.
"A peace treaty may provide for unarmed observers in Ukraine, a civilian mission to monitor the implementation of certain aspects of the agreement, or guarantee mechanisms," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said.
"Ukraine is sovereign – if it requests allied forces to be on its territory, it is not up to Russia to accept or reject it," French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview with Le Parisien.
Key developments on March 15-16: * Ukraine confirms withdrawal from Sudzha in Russia's Kursk Oblast * Ukraine appoints Andrii Hnatov as new chief of General Staff * Russia readying to attack Sumy as Donbas front stabilizes, Zelensky says * Trump-Putin phone call expected this week, US hopes for ceasefire within weeks, envoy says * UK
The proposed contingent would include around 10,000 troops, mostly provided by the U.K. and France, U.K. military sources told the Sunday Times. Thirty-five countries would assist with weapons, logistics, and intelligence support.
Italy does not plan to participate in a peacekeeping force on the ground in eastern Ukraine to guarantee a potential ceasefire, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's office said on March 15.
"The world must understand that Russia is the only obstacle preventing peace," President Volodymyr Zelensky said following a virtual summit of 25 nations supporting peace efforts in Ukraine.
(Updated: )
