French President Emmanuel Macron is reportedly leading efforts to send up to 100,000 European troops to Ukraine as peacekeepers if a ceasefire brokered by President-elect Donald Trump is reached. are.
According to report From Reuters: President-elect Trump told Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during a meeting to coincide with the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral earlier this month that U.S. forces would not be allowed to move into Ukraine after a negotiated peace deal. It gave the impression that it does not play a role in guaranteeing the safety of people. Together with Moscow.
President Macron is therefore trying to persuade European partners to send troops to the region, regardless of whether Ukraine is admitted to NATO.
“Even with NATO security, where will the impetus on the ground come from? It will be European, so our military commanders are already planning plans that European leaders can consider in the future.” “We are preparing for the move,” a senior European official was quoted as saying.
Franz Stefan Gadi, a former Austrian military planner and current analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, has suggested that around 100,000 European troops could be sent to Ukraine, and that “European ground forces will be significantly strained,'' he said.
But Gadi said the troop numbers could be met if European powers reduced their presence in other regions, such as Bosnia and Kosovo.
Ukraine's membership in NATO is off the table for the time being, with Russia listing Ukraine as one of its red lines and Western countries such as Germany, Hungary and the United States expressing concern about recognizing countries with which they have disputed borders. There is a high possibility that it will be carried out, and security is ensured. Other measures will be key to bringing Kiev to the negotiating table.
After his meeting with President Macron on Wednesday, President Zelenskiy wrote about X:
“We continued to work on President Macron's initiative regarding the presence of troops in Ukraine, which could contribute to stabilizing the path to peace.
“Emmanuel reported on communications with other partners aimed at ensuring that all necessary measures for peace are taken. Thank you, France!”
However, following a meeting with President Macron last week, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk rejected the idea, and it is currently unclear whether some major powers would be willing to participate in peacekeeping operations in Ukraine. is.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has indicated that Berlin is likely to be involved in the peacekeeping process, but has so far declined to make any concrete commitments, such as sending German troops to the country. are.
