European countries are discussing the possibility of sending up to 100,000 troops to Ukraine. The proposal will be considered in case of a ceasefire or a peace agreement . Reuters reports citing its sources, UNN reports.
Details
The talks, led by French President Emmanuel Macron, are at an early stage, but they have already revealed disagreements over the possible goals and mandate of such a mission, and even over the extent to which it is appropriate to raise the issue now.
Some officials are still considering the possibility of European countries providing security guarantees to Ukraine, in particular by sending tens of thousands of soldiers to Ukraine. However, during talks with Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris on December 7, Trump rejected the participation of US troops in enforcing the ceasefire and insisted that Europeans would have to play this role on their own, two sources told Reuters.
This could mean the deployment of European forces in Ukraine, whether Kyiv receives security guarantees through NATO membership-as it hopes-or through bilateral agreements.
“Even if there was a security guarantee from NATO, where would the momentum on the ground come from? It would come from Europe, so our army chiefs are already preparing plans that European leaders could consider in the future,” said a senior European official.
The deterrence force could be formed by a coalition of five to eight countries, the Ukrainian official said. In particular, large European countries such as France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom could make up the bulk of the force.
Analysts and officials give different estimates of the size of such a force, emphasizing that much would depend on its specific mission. Some analysts believe that about 40,000 troops would be appropriate.
According to Franz-Stephan Gadi, an Austrian military planner currently working at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, under a rotational deployment scheme, where units prepare for deployment and recover from deployment, about 100,000 troops can be involved in a mission at any given time.
“This will certainly stretch European ground forces,” he said.
One European security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, also said that up to 100,000 troops may be needed.
According to Gadi, such a force could be formed if some European countries cut back on other missions, such as peacekeeping in the Balkans.
Addendum Addendum
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Warsaw is not currently considering sending its troops and plans to discuss with President Zelenskyy ways to unite the West to support Ukraine.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has indicated that Berlinis likely to play a role in ensuring the ceasefire, but it is too early to say what kind of forces will be needed.
Розміщення іноземних військ в Україні: які формати розглядаються10.12.24, 16:12