The US has announced its refusal to provide air cover to European forces in post-war Ukraine - Bloomberg
Kyiv • UNN
The US does not plan to provide air defense equipment to support the peacekeeping forces of Great Britain and France in Ukraine. Allies disagree on how to combat Russian aggression.
The United States refuses to provide air defense equipment to support the "forces of pacification" that the United Kingdom and France plan to create in post-war Ukraine, UNN writes with reference to Bloomberg.
Details
The publication writes that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer insisted that the so-called US defense mechanism is important to deter Russia from violating any future ceasefire agreement. But European allies, during negotiations with their American counterparts, came to the conclusion that President Donald Trump would not provide the guarantees they sought to support the European-led "coalition of the willing".
The reluctance of the United States to provide the support sought by its European partners underscores that Western allies disagree on how to combat Russian aggression in Ukraine. European officials have said that US guarantees are needed along with strong Ukrainian forces, supported by allied training and troops, to deter Russia.
There must be a US defense mechanism. US security guarantees are the only way to effectively deter Russia from re-attacking Ukraine
As Bloomberg previously reported, the UK and France have been trying to persuade Trump to offer air power, as well as border surveillance and intelligence.
Despite lowering expectations for a potential US offer to post-war Ukraine, the UK and France still hope that the US will continue to provide intelligence, as well as border surveillance between Ukraine and Russia.
Some European officials also hope that Trump will intervene if British and French troops become targets of Russia in Ukraine. At the same time, they believe that the head of the White House is unlikely to provide such a guarantee in writing.
Moreover, European governments have adjusted their assessment of what is needed to deter Russia. They now believe that a combination of Ukrainian forces, allied training, European troops and aircraft stationed on NATO's eastern flank, and patrols in the Black Sea, is sufficient, one source told the publication.
Allied forces, which will help secure Ukraine's airspace, coastline and land by deploying European troops away from the border in critical ports and infrastructure, and continuing to supply military equipment, depend on a peaceful settlement, which European officials believe is becoming increasingly unlikely.
The UK and France have completed identifying the location and manner of their operations, but have postponed this plan until ceasefire negotiations resume, sources said.
Of the 30 members of the coalition, which also includes non-European countries such as Canada, Australia, Japan and New Zealand, fifteen have offered their forces, including aircraft, naval vessels and other military equipment, Bloomberg reported in April. Nevertheless, the number of countries that have firmly committed to sending troops is in the single digits.
Addition
Putin's aide Yuriy Ushakov said that US President Donald Trump confirmed to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin that the US was not informed about Ukraine's plans to strike Russian airfields.