Europe weighs military presence in Ukraine post-conflict
According to the Washington Post, European leaders are seriously considering sending troops to Ukraine to ensure its security after the conflict with Russia ends.
The possibility of sending European troops to Ukraine was discussed in Brussels. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and leaders of European NATO countries discussed this topic. The mission's goal would be to guarantee that Russia does not carry out another aggression against Ukraine.
The proposal to send troops was presented to Donald Trump during a meeting in Paris with Emmanuel Macron and Zelensky. Trump expressed interest, but it is unclear whether his administration will support this plan. The Washington Post reports that European countries want to develop a common position before Trump's inauguration.
NATO troops in Ukraine?
Emmanuel Macron first mentioned the possibility of sending European soldiers to Ukraine in February. At that time, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz ruled out such a possibility. However, the topic is now resurfacing, and Tusk has offered logistical support for the mission.
Potential peacekeeping forces would not operate under the NATO flag, which would require consensus among allies. Zelensky welcomed the proposal positively but emphasized that it should not replace Ukraine's pursuit of NATO membership. For us, the real security guarantee is NATO, Zelensky stated.
Source: Washington Post/rp.pl
