Paris and London contemplate troops on Ukraine ceasefire line
Paris and London are considering deploying French and British troops along the demarcation line between Russia and Ukraine to monitor adherence to a ceasefire that could be achieved through negotiations, Radio Liberty reported, citing a senior NATO official.
According to Radio Liberty, various options in Paris and London could be proposed if peace talks commence between Ukraine and Russia to ensure Ukraine's security.
A high-ranking NATO official informed that such a proposal is the deployment of French and British troops along the demarcation line to monitor adherence to a ceasefire that could be achieved through negotiations.
According to him, these discussions are occurring exclusively in some capitals, not at the NATO level. Paris and London are trying to prepare options for various scenarios of the situation’s development so that, if queries arise from the new US administration, European countries could present ready proposals to support Kyiv.
Preparing concrete proposals and support options is also necessary to ensure the participation of European allies in peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, with the mediation of the newly elected US President, Donald Trump – the Radio Liberty interlocutor explained.
The French newspaper Le Monde previously reported that France and the United Kingdom plan to lead a military coalition in Ukraine and have resumed discussions about the possible deployment of their troops in the country.
France "excludes no option"
The issue of French military engagement was also addressed during a conversation between French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and BBC News. In response to the question of whether the participation of French troops in combat actions is possible, the minister stated that France "excludes no option."
Lithuania also supports France's idea of possibly sending Western troops to Ukraine – Lithuanian Ambassador to NATO Deyvidas Matulionis informed Radio Liberty. According to him, should France decide to take such a step, it would not require NATO's consent, as it could be a decision of individual nation-states.
French President Emmanuel Macron first raised this issue in February 2024 and explained in May that, in the event of Russian forces breaching the front line and Ukraine making an official request, France "would have the legal right to consider sending its troops."
Estonia: Do not send soldiers
In November, after the discussions resumed in Paris, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani declared that his country would not send its soldiers to the war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur stated that "sending Western troops to Ukraine is not a good idea" because "the risks of such actions far outweigh the benefits."
