Teresa Suarez / EPA
British Prime Minister Keir Strmer and French President Emmanuel Macron
London and Paris are working on creating a European force to ensure Ukraine’s safety in case of ceasefire. But it will consist of less than 30,000 soldiers. “The idea is to put soldiers on the second line, not on the front line.”
This ‘in the oven’ a Franco-British plan to ensure safety to Ukraine in case of ceasefire. French source close to the process, cited by AFP in anonymity, indicated that the debates are running and that it is being considered a project that will include several European countries.
Citing “Western responsible”, several British newspapers, including The Guardian, The Financial Times and The Times, said that this force will be mainly air and sea, but with a “minimal” presence on the ground, away from the Batalha Front line in the east of the country.
Despite being a ‘Second Line Plan’, According to The Guardian, this military contingent will have as its objective prevent Russian attacks Ukrainian cities, ports and infrastructures, in the event of a ceasefire with Russia mediated by the United States.
“The idea is to put soldiers on the second line, not on the front line. This can be combined with a multinational operation, with non-European contingents that will be, yes, on the front line, ”explained the French source, referring to a project that would be put into practice“ after ceasefire ”.
According to the British press, one of the goals of European force will be to ensure the reopening of Ukrainian airspace to commercial flights and maintaining the safety of maritime trade in the Black Sea, an essential route for exports of Ukraine food and cereal goods.
Trump’s fear?
Europeans fear that the president of the United States, Donald Trumpfinish the war in Ukraine, started by Russia for three years with the invasion of the neighboring country, in terms that are favorable to Moscowwithout providing security guarantees to Kiev.
According to these newspapers, one of the conditions for the new plan would be to guarantee a US “air coverage” to DISSUDIATE Russia to violate the agreement.
O French army would be forced to mobilize almost “everything you have”in terms of equipment and armament, to ensure these detachments, the French source indicated, adding: “This means that it would not be much left in case the situation deteriorates.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously appealed to the presence of a western force of at least 100,000 soldiers. However, according to sources Only 30,000 soldiers will be part of the armed.
US troops out of this
Donald Trump declared himself “totally in favor” of the presence of European peace maintenance troops in Ukraine, but Russia is firmly opposed. And Pete Hegseth, the Trump government secretary, stated in mid -February that “North American troops will not be sent to Ukraine”.
In recent days, after Trump described Zelensky as a “dictator without elections.”
In this context, the French president, Emmanuel Macronand the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmerthey are expected next week in Washington for a meeting with the US head of state.
This climate is creating “a little panic”he observed the French source, adding: “We no longer know what will happen to NATO (Organization of the Atlantic-Norte Treaty, Western Defense Block). There is a sudden acceleration of things. ”
