This is reported by Associated Press.
It is noted that the United Kingdom and France are currently focusing the most on this issue, although there are few details available.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated: “I will not resort to specific possibilities, but I acknowledge that if there is peace, there must be some security guarantees for Ukraine, and the UK will play its role in this.”
Despite this, it remains unclear which other countries will be involved in sending troops to Ukraine. AP points out that Italy has constitutional restrictions on the use of its armed forces, while the Netherlands and Germany require parliamentary approval.
Meanwhile, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said that before planning to send troops to Ukraine, it is essential to understand what the frontline will look like after the war ends.
He also added that if Russia and Ukraine reduce their forces along the front line to a few thousand on each side, then “it will not be a problem for Europe to be there as well.”
However, European experts and officials warn that under current conditions, Europeans need to deploy a strong and numerous contingent, and it will take about a year to prepare.
Recall that back in February 2024, French President Emmanuel Macron discussed sending his troops to Ukraine at a meeting he convened with partner countries of Kyiv in Paris. However, the states did not reach a consensus on this issue.
In November, the French publication Le Monde reported that individual European leaders had once again returned to the discussion about the possible deployment of Western troops to Ukraine due to the potential refusal of newly elected US President Donald Trump to assist Kyiv.
Meanwhile, American media circulated a plan to resolve the war in Ukraine, allegedly proposed by advisers to the newly elected US president.
This plan, in particular, involves the creation of a demilitarized zone along the frozen front line between Russia and Ukraine, with security guaranteed by troops from European countries.
President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that partner troops in Ukraine could become one of the best tools to compel Russia to peace. However, he emphasized that the European peacekeeping mission should not replace Ukraine’s NATO membership.
Earlier, there were discussions about the readiness to send peacekeepers from Italy and Germany. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius noted that Russia must also agree to the European peacekeeping mission.
At the same time, Poland stated that they do not plan to send their troops.