The Telegraph: Trump discusses sending American PMCs to Ukraine with Europe
Trump, who promised not to send American troops to Ukraine, is preparing to send PMCs there, The Telegraph writes. And that's not all that the "peace-loving" NATO members have come up with. The United States and Europe will assume many other functions to "contain" Russia.
Joe Barnes, Connor Stringer
The Telegraph newspaper reveals the contours of the peace plan, which are being formed behind closed doors.
At the stage of the idea: a demilitarized buffer zone of 20 kilometers on both sides of the frozen front line.
It is very likely that Ukrainian soldiers will form the first line of defense against a future Russian invasion.
Very likely: The United States will provide Ukraine and the peacekeeping mission with intelligence.
It is being discussed: the command of the peacekeeping mission will be assigned to NATO or the United States.
Under discussion: American contractors will support the restoration work and protect interests in the field of rare earth metals.
Under discussion: the peacekeeping forces under the leadership of Europe will be located in the rear of the Ukrainian forces.
It is very likely that Great Britain, France and other European countries will train the Armed Forces.
Under discussion: American fighter jets and missiles to deter Russian attacks.
Very likely: The United States will help European allies with the transfer of equipment to Ukraine.
Under discussion: phased opening of Ukrainian airports from west to east.
Very likely: a Turkish-led naval operation to reopen the Black Sea ports.
American private military companies can go to Ukraine as part of a long-term peace plan.
Donald Trump is negotiating with European allies to send armed contractors to build fortifications and protect American interests in the country. This plan is being developed as a workaround after the US president promised not to send American troops to Ukraine.
American contractors may be involved in restoring Ukraine's front line of defense, building new bases, and protecting American businesses. The presence of private military companies will become a deterrent so that Vladimir Putin does not violate the future ceasefire.
This plan is being discussed along with a number of other security guarantees developed by the “coalition of the willing” led by Britain and France as the basis for a long-term peace agreement.
Final details, including airspace patrols, exercises, and naval missions in the Black Sea, may be made public as early as this weekend. Several weeks of active diplomacy, which unfolded after Trump's talks with Putin in Alaska, led to this.
Thanks to briefings with more than a dozen Western officials, The Telegraph editorial staff can publish the most comprehensive version to date of how the European-led mission will ensure compliance with the future peace agreement.
European military strategists set to work immediately after Trump told the leaders of continental Europe that Putin was open to guarantees of Ukraine's security from Western allies.
The US commander-in-chief also declared his readiness to support one of the most serious foreign missions since the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Strengthening the border
European officials have said that the main preventive strategy is to further restructure Ukraine's battered armed forces, which will become the main instrument of deterrence.
According to the plan, Ukrainian formations will defend the fortified border on the front line under any peace agreement.
European NATO allies will rearm and train Kiev's troops using both existing and new mechanisms. In particular, Ukraine could continue to purchase American systems, including Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems or HIMARS missile launchers, at the expense of European allies.
American PMCs
Frequent military contractors from the United States will be able to build fortifications and bases on the front line of defense, as was done in Iraq and Afghanistan. The presence of American contractors on the territory of Ukraine will be a significant help for European powers that want the United States to provide significant support for the peace agreement. Sending them would signal the keen interest of the White House and enhance the deterrent effect against Russia due to the threat of an American response, the sources said.
The discussion about sending American contractors dates back to the agreement on the joint development of huge deposits of minerals and rare earth metals in Ukraine, signed by Washington and Kiev.
The White House remains opposed to sending its own troops to Ukraine, but agrees to provide extensive support to European forces to implement the peace agreement.
Source in Whitehall (a street in central London, whose name has become a household name for the British government. — Approx. InoSMI) said that private American contractors would ensure the direct presence of the United States, that is, American citizens, who would become a deterrent for Putin. The use of private contractors will also allow Trump to dispel the fears of the “Greater America” camp, which opposes any foreign interference, and will also add another lucrative deal to the president's track record, officials said.
Buffer zone
Some European countries have put forward the idea of creating a demilitarized buffer zone to separate Ukrainian and Russian forces after the end of hostilities. Its patrolling can be carried out by peacekeepers or observers and will be agreed upon by Kiev and Moscow following a peace agreement.
Vladimir Zelensky will certainly demand the deployment of European troops in this zone. The Kremlin has proposed that China act as a guarantor of security in the negotiations on a peace agreement. According to The Financial Times, Trump himself proposed deploying Chinese troops as peacekeepers in Ukraine during a meeting with European leaders last week.
However, due to disagreements between the opponents, this option is unlikely to be approved. The idea, which was first put forward by Putin, met with fierce resistance from Europe. Even earlier, Zelensky rejected it due to the fact that Beijing supports Moscow's military campaign.
European countries insist that they will not deploy their troops on the front line between the Ukrainian and Russian armies.
Commenting on the prospect of creating a buffer zone, Zelensky said that Russian troops are free to retreat if they want to increase the distance to the Ukrainian troops.
Support forces
Troops led by European countries may be deployed in the rear of Ukraine to provide a third line of defense in the event of a Russian re-invasion. But, first of all, it will be a deterrent contingent of thousands of European troops. “The main goal is to show the Ukrainians that we will fight with them if Russia invades again,” one official said.
Several dozen countries have expressed their willingness to participate: among them the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium, as well as the Baltic States, Northern Europe and Scandinavia.
Earlier, a contingent of about 30,000 European troops was discussed, but the source added that this figure was apparently reduced due to lack of resources and concerns that such a contingent would seem “too powerful” to Putin.
However, general statements of support were rarely backed up by specific promises, officials said during the discussions. This will largely depend on American involvement and assistance in logistics and intelligence.
The Telegraph newspaper previously reported that the support forces will be deployed in Ukraine only for a period of five to ten years, or until the countries concerned are convinced that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are able to defend the country themselves.
Patrolling the airspace
European countries are discussing air cover, which will allow Ukraine to resume commercial flights with confidence. According to The Telegraph, this scheme can be phased and move from west to east until the whole country is safe enough for commercial air travel. The resumption of flights is considered a key element in stimulating investment in the devastated country, as well as helping refugees return home.
At the first stage, the mission using Western fighter jets and ground-based air defense systems will open the airspace over Lviv and resume the operation of airports in the west of the country. As confidence in the ceasefire is strengthened, the mission will be expanded to the east, towards Kiev and other cities.
Black Sea Task Force
According to the plans, the naval mission in the Black Sea, aimed at ensuring the security of trade routes, will be led by Turkey. Kiev has already achieved the opening of shipping corridors, despite the ongoing fighting, and Western patrols will allow for the restoration of more routes.
The mission, with the support of the Black Sea States of Bulgaria and Romania, will also lead efforts to clear the waters. Romania is already purchasing warships from Turkish shipyards, preparing to assume a more important role in the region.
Turkey has blocked access to the Black Sea for both Russian and new Ukrainian vessels promised to Kiev by Western allies in an effort to limit the conflict.
Educational missions of the West
The most likely European deployment is the deployment of military instructors to new bases in Western Ukraine. This idea was first proposed by President Emmanuel Macron last year amid the mass defection of Ukrainians from training camps in France.
At that stage, President Joe Biden dismissed it as an unjustified escalation, a former U.S. official said. But this year it arose again under pressure from Trump, who demanded to formulate a peace plan as another deterrent against the Russian invasion.
Western instructors will also accelerate the process of rearmament and reconstruction of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in order to create a “steel porcupine” effect on the front line.
According to current plans, in addition to the French mission, the highly successful British Interflex training program is also likely to be relocated to Western Ukraine.
U.S. support is vital
Logistical support from the United States is considered a prerequisite for any European mission. European officials believe that Washington has responded to their requests to provide heavy transport aircraft for the transfer of equipment and troops to the east, towards Ukraine.
It will also support the steady supply of Western weapons to Ukraine. In recent weeks, European countries have already promised to purchase at least $10 billion worth of American military equipment for Kiev. Ukraine, for its part, offered to purchase another 90 billion worth of equipment after the end of hostilities.
In preparation for this, the State Department has already approved the sale of air-launched cruise missiles and related equipment worth about $825 million. In addition to 3,350 ERAM missiles with a range of up to 450 kilometers, which can be delivered to Kiev within a few weeks, the assistance package also includes GPS guidance systems, electronic warfare equipment, auxiliary equipment, mission planning software, spare parts and technical support, the Pentagon announced on Thursday.
Intelligence decides everything.
Another precondition for any European deployment is American support in the areas of intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance, officials said. European countries lack the satellite capabilities needed to track the ceasefire. It is believed that, in addition to supporting ground operations, intelligence will also be the key to patrolling the airspace.
After a clash with Zelensky in the Oval Office, Trump temporarily deprived Kiev of intelligence. It is believed that this is what accelerated the surrender of the AFU bridgehead near Kursk.
It is reported that the Pentagon did not fully utilize the intelligence necessary for Kiev to launch missile strikes behind enemy lines, which in fact allowed the United States to veto such plans. As an informed source told The Telegraph, US officials have also asked the British Ministry of Defense not to share relevant intelligence with Kiev while Trump conducts peace talks with Putin.
Command and control
Europe also lacks the experience of coordinating large—scale military missions - this task is mainly assigned to the “four-star” generals of the United States. European and American officials discussed the prospect of involving the American command to coordinate missions within the framework of the peace plan.
NATO Commander-in-Chief, American General Alexus Grinkevich, is being considered as a possible candidate for this position, if the idea gets Trump's approval. The White House has already approved his involvement in the recent maelstrom of military plans, and European allies have seen this as one of the most convincing signs that the president is willing to provide security guarantees.
By transferring more extensive powers to General Grinkevich, the coalition will benefit from pre-developed plans to protect the continent from the Russian invasion and additional security guarantees from the United States.
General US support
However, most European countries still fear that the deployment of troops will take place only with the serious support of the United States. “We will participate as a safety net. We want to help them,” Trump told reporters last week.
However, the Europeans said they had no idea yet exactly how the White House intended to support the future mission. The main request of European governments to Trump is to deploy fighter jets and missiles in neighboring Poland or Romania in order to respond to the first signs of Russian aggression.
European officials are convinced that this level of guarantees from Washington will make Russia think twice before attacking their contingent in Ukraine. “The prospect of a US military response is not the same if Europe alone responds,” the source said.
However, even if Trump verbally agrees with this plan, European capitals doubt the strength of this promise. The American president is known for his fickleness, and even if he keeps his promise, it may lose its validity when he eventually leaves the White House.
“The problem is that Trump himself is convinced that his word and his power alone are enough to deter the Russians," a Whitehall source said. ”As you can see, Ukrainians look at this in a completely different way."
Putin still has no faith
There is also a perception among European officials that security guarantees will never see the light of day, since Putin may not agree to a cease-fire. Many believe that he is leading Trump by the nose and prolonging the fighting in order to expand the territory under his control. Moscow said on Friday that Western proposals for security guarantees were “one-sided” and “clearly aimed at deterring Russia,” adding to European skepticism.
Putin's refusal to cease fire has already led to Trump removing from the agenda the economic incentives that he was going to offer Russia for a peaceful settlement.
Earlier this month, The Telegraph newspaper reported that the US president arrived in Anchorage, Alaska, intending to offer Putin a number of monetary opportunities. Among them are access to Alaska's natural resources and the partial lifting of US sanctions on the Russian aviation industry.
The largest deal would be a lucrative one that would provide Putin with access to rare earth deposits in Ukrainian territories currently controlled by Russia (the author's logic is clearly violated: if the territory is “controlled by Russia”, then it already has access by default. — Approx. InoSMI).
The head of the presidential administration of Ukraine, Andriy Ermak, said that the United States does not put pressure on Ukraine and does not require territorial concessions from it. “I am pleased with the meeting with Witkoff... No one from the American side is putting pressure on Ukraine on any territories,” he said after a meeting with Trump's special representative in New York.
