France and Poland could send troops to Ukraine as a peacekeeping force in the event of a ceasefire agreement between Kiev and Moscow. Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk discussed the possibility. The French president went to Warsaw to discuss the war in Ukraine and how to continue supporting the country led by Volodymyr Zelensky, in light of the election of Donald Trump in the United States.
The topic is very sensitive, but Tusk himself confirmed that it was addressed. “I would like to cut short speculation about the potential presence of troops of one country or another in Ukraine once a ceasefire or peace is established. President Macron is aware of this, we have discussed it,” Tusk said. The Polish MP, however, specified that “for the moment” Warsaw “is not planning any action of this type”.
The negotiations
These troops could constitute a kind of peacekeeping force aimed at preserving Ukraine’s sovereignty in the context of a possible agreement between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which could be brokered by Trump. The future US president, who met with the Ukrainian leader in Paris last weekend, vowed to end the conflict. But there are strong disagreements between the United States and the European Union on how peace should be achieved.
Poland borders Ukraine and immediately sided with the neighboring country, becoming a clearinghouse for military aid from the Western allies. Warsaw will take over the rotating presidency of the European Union in January and Tusk said last Tuesday (10 December) that talks to stop the war could begin this winter.
Macron said it was up to Ukraine to decide what concessions it wants to make for the sake of peace, but he also stressed the importance of Europeans taking responsibility for the security of the entire continent, an aspect brought into focus by the imminent return of Trump at the White House. “There is no security in Europe without the Europeans,” Macron said.
Germany and Italy slow down
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was not present at the Warsaw talks but said he was in constant contact with Tusk and Macron. A German government source said that talking about ground troops as part of security guarantees for Ukraine is “a bit like taking the fifth step before the second.”
“Now we must first arrive at a just peace, it is premature to talk about any initiative the next day,” said Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, in Berlin for a meeting with five EU countries, the United Kingdom and Ukraine. “It will be evaluated, the heads of state and government will evaluate, but in the meantime let’s see what happens, if and when the war ends. It is important that the United States and Europe work together, and with Ukraine, to achieve a just peace that does not mean a surrender of Ukraine,” Tajani added.
Security guarantees
The deployment of Western troops on the battlefield in Ukraine would amount to an escalation, dragging NATO into the conflict, but a possible peacekeeping mission would take place at a later stage, to discourage a new Russian invasion. The Ukrainian president has hinted that he is willing to wait before recovering the areas occupied by the Russian army (almost a fifth of the country).
But he is asking his allies for “effective” security guarantees to prevent any new Russian offensive against his country. In the absence of a rapid prospect of Ukraine joining NATO, which Washington and Berlin oppose, the West could send soldiers to Ukraine
. “Frankly, we can reflect and work on Emmanuel’s position,” Zelensky said in recent days, arguing that this would “guarantee security until Ukraine is in NATO.” But joining the Atlantic Alliance is one of the points on which Moscow does not seem to want to compromise: Putin wants guarantees that it will never happen.
