A bloc of Western countries held a security conference to discuss their role in enforcing a future ceasefire in Ukraine. European leaders have debated troop deployments to the war-torn nation and even considered strikes on Russian forces.
French President Emmanuel Macron hosted a meeting in Paris with officials from 34 nations on Tuesday, with the talks centered on how they could provide Ukraine with enough military assistance to deter Russia from breaking a ceasefire agreement. American officials were not invited to the summit.
While the meetings were held behind closed doors, Macron said it was time to “move from concept to plan” to define credible security for Kiev. However, a senior Ukrainian official speaking with the AP said the proposals were still in their early stages.
“Diplomats are discussing, military officials are discussing, but we still don’t have real proposals,” the official explained. The talks “are not in the first stage, we did a lot in the first stage, but we still don’t have a real solid approach.”
The European leaders reportedly discussed a direct troop deployment to Ukraine somewhere away from the front lines, which would receive protection from Western air and naval power. Slovenia’s army chief, Lt. Gen. Robert Glavaš, stated that his country was willing to contribute to the force, but acknowledged Slovenia’s limited military capabilities.
“The question is: ‘What next?’” he told the AP. “Who will go there? As we know in Europe, many countries, especially small countries, don’t have a lot of troops.” Slovenia has about 7,000 active-duty soldiers.
French military officials said the plan would involve the creation of a massive stockpile of heavy weapons that could be rushed to Ukraine within hours or days. A Western official further explained that direct strikes could be launched on Russian forces should they violate a truce.
While Washington was excluded from the event, the attendees acknowledged that any Western military presence in Ukraine would need American support. The idea is to “aggregate” the capabilities of various European countries to offer security guarantees and ensure the peace deal is “robust and verifiable,” with the aim to get some US backing, said another French official, per the AP. “To get signals on the US backstop, the ‘able and willing’ European countries must be able to aggregate their capabilities and demands.”
One Ukrainian official voiced hopes that President Donald Trump would go along with the idea. “I fully believe it’s very possible,” they said. “Trump is comfortable with the idea, the idea is very positive for us, and if Europe wants to be a real player, they should do this.”
Any European proposal to send troops to Ukraine or strike Russian positions will almost certainly be rejected outright by Moscow. Russian officials have previously dismissed the idea of Western troops in Ukraine as part of any agreement to end the war.
The Paris summit was held as the White House continues efforts to broker a deal to end the war in Ukraine. Earlier this week, US and Ukrainian officials announced a 30-day ceasefire plan, however it remains unclear whether Russia will be receptive to the proposal.
