Peace guarantees and foreign troops: As the US and Europe want to protect Ukraine from
Bloomberg wrote that a security package for Ukraine will be formed this week, relying on the support of US President Donald Trump. The plan provides for the sending of European troops in the framework of a possible peace agreement. After the Summit in the White House, where the United States has strengthened their obligations, European leaders seek to strengthen Kiev's position before the potential meeting of Putin and Zelensky presidents.
On Tuesday, European officials discussed the sending of British and French troops to Ukraine, determining their number and tasks. About 10 countries are ready to send forces, sources have reported anonymously. Later, Trump stated that Europe was ready to send troops. "As for safety, they are ready to send people to the ground," Trump Fox News said. - "We are ready to help them in various issues, especially . . .
Maybe we can talk about air transportation, because no one has such things as we have, in fact they do not have them. But I do not think it will be a problem. " Britain reported that European and US military representatives will soon clarify the details of the guarantees. The President of the European Council Anthony Costa stated that the conditions would be agreed in the coming days. Despite the breakthrough, some officials are skeptical about the peace agreement and containing Putin.
The Kremlin rejects NATO troops in Ukraine. The plan envisages the strengthening of the Armed Forces through training and support for multinational forces, mostly European. The United Kingdom and France are ready to send hundreds of soldiers away from the front. The US will provide intelligence, weapons and possibly air defense through partners. Italy's premiere Georgia Meloni offered Nativsky -like guarantees to protect Ukraine without membership in the Alliance.
What is known is that the US will not send troops to Ukraine. Donald Trump said he did not plan to send US troops to Ukraine and completely excluded the US participation in land operations in this country. In a comment to Focus, military expert Oleg Zhdanov expresses serious doubts about the possibility of introducing foreign troops into Ukraine as part of any peacekeeping initiative.
In his opinion, no country will probably decide to send its military contingents, given the previous experience and reaction of key players, including Russia. Zhdanov draws attention to the indecision of European countries, including the United Kingdom. According to him, the British position varies: in the morning they can declare their willingness to provide troops, and in the evening they are already refusing such plans.
This uncertainty, according to the expert, indicates a low probability that foreign troops will appear in Ukraine. He believes that such statements are rather political maneuvers than real intentions. "The main idea promoted by US President Donald Trump is not in the conclusion of the final peace agreement, but in the temporary freezing of the conflict. Trump does not insist on a full peace treaty, as Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, who seeks final settlement on his own. The Nobel Peace Prize.
In the case of ceasefire, Zhdanov believes that the maximum that can be counted is the introduction of international observers, not full military contingents. He remembers the experience of 2014, when OSCE observers were monitored by the ceasefire regime on the line of fighting. However, this process was ineffective: even under the conditions of a formal armistice, Ukraine suffered significant losses - to the battalion per year.
Zhdanov emphasizes that the OSCE control could not prevent violations and the losses remained frantic. The expert also mentions the attempts in 2023, when French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his willingness to send troops to control the fire. "At that time, the idea of a peacekeeping operation under the UN Charter was considered, where troops could divide the opposing parties. However, Russia reacted sharply to this proposal.
Zhdanov concludes that even if Trump is able to convince Ukraine and Russia to freeze the conflict in current positions, only international observers will be sent to Ukraine. In doing so, he is concerned that the presence of military observers can be even worse than civilians. He, he said, can use them as a target by arranging provocations, and then accusing Ukraine of attacks on foreigners, for example, calling it the actions of "Bandera".