Which countries are ready to send their troops to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping mission?

The details of the peacekeeping contingent that Europe intends to send to Ukraine remain the subject of diplomatic consultations. The United Kingdom and France are leading this initiative, but other countries may also join. Find out which countries agree to send a military contingent to Ukrainian territory

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European leaders are discussing the possibility of sending a military contingent to Ukraine to enforce any future ceasefire with russia and maintain stability in the region. The initiative, as reported by the Associated Press, has been taking shape gradually, but has gained particular relevance in recent weeks due to concerns that US President Donald Trump may reach some kind of ‘quick deal’ with vladimir putin without taking into account the interests of European countries and Ukraine.

Great Britain

On 16 February, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his readiness to deploy British troops in Ukraine under an international agreement. At the same time, he stressed that London's decision would depend on the terms of a potential peace agreement and security guarantees for Ukraine.

Although Washington has officially rejected the idea of deploying US troops on Ukrainian territory, British officials have indicated that the US could provide intelligence, surveillance and possibly air or anti-aircraft support. Details of this potential assistance have not yet been disclosed.

France

According to two senior European officials, France could provide around 10,000 troops. France, along with the UK, are the only two nuclear powers among European countries, which makes their military presence particularly important if the plan is implemented.

Paris is at the forefront of the discussions alongside London: both countries are trying to coordinate their positions and build contacts not only with each other, but also with other states willing to send military contingents.

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The Netherlands

Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans told The Washington Post that the plan ‘will require much more than just political agreement from the United States’. According to Brekelmans, in the coming weeks, the countries considering sending troops should move ‘to more concrete numbers’ and determine what kind of support each will provide.

Possible forms of participation include intelligence, surveillance, and air defence. However, no specific number of Dutch troops has been announced yet.

Other potential participants

According to sources, at least 12 countries are involved in the discussions, including Poland, the Netherlands, Germany, as well as the Nordic and Baltic states. These countries are ready to provide either personnel or resources for technical and humanitarian support.

The European plan under discussion envisages the deployment of a force of 25,000 to 30,000 troops. This ‘deterrence force’ will not be located directly on the contact line, but should be ready for rapid deployment in the event of a resumption of active hostilities by Russia. At the same time, the planned grouping could be reinforced by additional reserves located outside Ukraine.

The US position

The Donald Trump administration (according to sources) has rejected the possibility of direct deployment of US troops in Ukraine. However, it does allow for the possibility of providing the European contingent with intelligence, air cover, and technical resources, including air defence systems.

European diplomats and military officials emphasise that without US involvement, the implementation of such a large operation could prove problematic. Washington, for its part, is ‘probing’ the question of what kind of forces and equipment European countries are willing to provide in order to determine the possible nature of its support.

Why does Europe need this?

After several years of war in Ukraine, European states want to avoid a scenario in which a solution to the conflict is decided without their participation. There are fears that if the US president negotiates directly with russia, European countries and Ukraine may be left out of the negotiation process.

One of the key motivations of the Europeans is to provide reliable security guarantees for Ukraine. Many politicians in the EU believe that ‘peace on paper’ will not be real if Ukraine does not have a clear mechanism to protect its borders.

We remind you! President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that a ceasefire could be part of the end of active hostilities, but without security guarantees, Ukraine would not take such a step.

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