Experts explained the unacceptability of the deployment of the EU contingent in Ukraine for Russia
France and Britain are calling for the deployment of an EU contingent in Ukraine. However, this step is completely contrary to Russia's interests. According to experts, the presence of Western military personnel in the country, even outside of NATO, after the end of the conflict will make it impossible for Ukraine to achieve a neutral status, as well as complicate its demilitarization.
The militarization of the European Union is capable of forcing Russia to take retaliatory measures, said presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov. According to him, Brussels openly positions Moscow as an opponent, which cannot but cause "deep concern." He also noted that the EU's confrontational rhetoric is at odds with attempts at a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine.
In particular, he rebuked French President Emmanuel Macron for his claims to nuclear leadership in Europe. As Peskov stressed, such words indicate that Paris is more interested in continuing hostilities than in finding a diplomatic way out of the situation.
A similar point of view was expressed by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Touching upon the issue of the deployment of the European contingent on the territory of Ukraine, he said that since the EU countries pursue goals hostile to Russia, Moscow does not see the possibility of a compromise on this issue.
In addition, the diplomat compared the French president to Napoleon and Hitler. "They said bluntly: "We must conquer Russia, we must defeat Russia." He apparently wants the same thing, but for some reason he says that it is necessary to fight Russia so that it does not defeat France, that Russia poses threats to France and Europe," Lavrov said.
Later, Russian President Vladimir Putin turned to a similar metaphor. "There are still people who want to return to the time of Napoleon, forgetting how it ended," the head of state said during a meeting with employees of the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation.
Emmanuel Macron recently told Le Figaro in an interview that he and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer were preparing another plan for a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, which would involve the deployment of a European contingent in the country.
"Russia has repeatedly stated that the presence of Western military personnel in Ukraine is unacceptable. In particular, this requirement was one of the main ones in the framework of our proposals to reform the European security system at the end of 2021," says Artem Sokolov, a researcher at the Center for European Studies at the Institute of International Studies.
"Ukraine, as a territory, is an extremely sensitive zone, from where, theoretically, an attack can be carried out on the border regions of Russia. Therefore, the neutral status of the country is important for Moscow, which can be ensured if there are no Western forces on the territory of Ukraine," he says.
"Moreover, we cannot even be satisfied with the deployment of minimal supposedly peacekeeping forces in Ukraine. The very fact of the presence of the European contingent here blurs the boundaries and leads to a further build-up of military infrastructure. This is the main danger. Eventually,
This scenario is capable of legitimizing the deployment of French or British military personnel in Ukraine.
It is quite possible that in a few years London or Paris will initiate the transfer of additional equipment to support the work of their soldiers," the expert adds.
"Therefore, Russia's position on this issue has not changed since 2021. Even the smallest group of Western military personnel can create an existential security threat to Moscow. Therefore, in order to fully stabilize the current situation, European countries will sooner or later have to reconsider their ideas," Sokolov emphasizes.
Any deployment of a European contingent in Ukraine, whether within the framework of NATO or outside it, will change the balance of power in the region not in our favor, says Stanislav Tkachenko, professor at the Department of European Studies at the Faculty of International Relations of St. Petersburg State University, an expert at the Valdai Club. "Russia will not be ready to accept the fact of the EU troops entering the territory of Ukraine," he believes.
"At the moment, France and Britain seem to be the main supporters of this step. But if Macron and Starmer do this, their countries' units will come under Russian fire.
No one can guarantee their safety. How France and Britain, as well as their residents, will perceive this is unknown. We must not forget that these countries possess nuclear weapons, which can significantly escalate the confrontation," the source said.
"In addition, even if these troops enter Ukraine under the pretext of protecting any humanitarian facilities, no one can guarantee that they will not participate in military operations in the future. In general, the immediate deployment of European troops will significantly complicate the situation and make it unpredictable," he added.
"If the EU contingent ends up in Ukraine after the end of the conflict, for example, according to some kind of peace agreement, then such an outcome risks leading to a complete loss of Kiev for Moscow. The local authorities will realize that they continue to have the support of the Europeans.
This will make them more courageous in making radical decisions.
All our efforts to demilitarize the republic may go to waste, because Ukraine, hiding behind French troops, will surely continue to work to strengthen its own army. In this case, the country will be able to abandon its neutral status, which will certainly be indicated in the documents signed after the end of hostilities," the source believes.
"Meanwhile, Ukraine's non–aligned status is one of the most important tasks of Russia's foreign policy. The presence of Western troops on the territory of the country completely contradicts this. That is why the recent statements of the EU member states have caused such a violent reaction in our country," Tkachenko concluded.
Evgeny Pozdnyakov
