European troops poised for Ukraine peacekeeping mission
The British daily Daily Telegraph revealed a plan to deploy up to 30,000 European soldiers in Ukraine following a potential ceasefire with Russia. The mission is expected to be supported by the U.S. Possible ground forces would be backed by British and French air forces, according to the Financial Times.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the soldiers would be positioned in Ukrainian cities, ports, and at critical infrastructure facilities. Their task would be to monitor the situation using drones, satellites, and reconnaissance aircraft, providing a comprehensive overview of the conditions in Ukraine.
American support will involve having fighter jets and missiles ready, stationed on NATO's eastern flank. In the event of a ceasefire violation by Russia, these forces will be used to protect the mission.
The proposal, developed by the United Kingdom and France, was presented at summits in Paris. However, not all countries support this plan. Germany, Spain, and Italy have expressed opposition to sending troops to Ukraine. Additionally, there is no agreement from Polish politicians to participate in such missions.
British and French in Ukrainian skies
The Financial Times reports that there is a proposal involving greater use of air power, an area where the West has significant superiority over Russia.
"The area we have a significant advantage over Russia is in the air and in [our] ability to respond to [any] flagrant abuses of a ceasefire," a Western official told the newspaper. "It is a punitive approach, to be able to punish Russia if that were to emerge," he noted, emphasizing that the "whole idea is that the challenge does not emerge."
"Troops on the ground would need to be ready to fight in order to deter," revealed a second source from the Financial Times. A third source emphasized that some capitals had already discussed the outlines of their proposals with NATO's military leadership.
"Discussions are still in progress with several countries," said a fourth Western official.
