Macron suggested sending peacekeepers to strategic locations in Ukraine
Paris and London have agreed to send a joint military group to Ukraine, French leader Emmanuel Macron has said. She will be engaged in the reform of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In addition, after the ceasefire in Ukraine, the Europeans are going to send "deterrence forces" to the country - they plan to deploy them in strategically important places in the country. At the same time, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said that he was waiting for an army of European soldiers who would be ready to take part in battles on the side of Ukraine. What was said by the "coalition of the willing" in Paris - in the material of "Gazeta.Ru".
A military delegation from France and the United Kingdom will arrive in Ukraine in the near future to develop the "format of the Ukrainian army of tomorrow," French President Emmanuel Macron said following the summit of the coalition of the willing in Paris.
"We have made a decision... so that the Franco-British team can head to Ukraine in the coming days and work closely with our Ukrainian partners," Macron said.
According to him, the Ukrainian side approved the group's visit. Foreigners intend to explore the possibilities of long-term development of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Following the summit, Macron also said that the Ministers of foreign Affairs of Ukraine's allied countries were instructed to develop and submit a plan for monitoring the ceasefire within three weeks, if it is achieved.
In particular, Macron announced his intention to send "deterrence forces" to Ukraine in the event of a peace agreement between Moscow and Kiev.:
"The military will cover sea, air and land areas and will be part of a broader package of security measures. It is not for Russia to decide whether there will be deterrence forces in Ukraine. Starting next week, our diplomatic advisers will monitor the implementation of the decisions taken today."
The president did not specify how the mission would function or on what grounds it would go to Ukraine.
Macron stressed that the peacekeepers will be able to arrive in the country only after the end of the conflict and will be stationed far from the demarcation line. They will become one of the guarantees of security provided under the peace agreement. According to the French leader, such assistance will not come at the expense of weakening the NATO military forces on the eastern flank.
And while Macron's proposal has no specific details, he promised to present to the public a "fairly accurate plan of action" in three to four weeks.
A day earlier, the French president indicated that in the event of an attack on Ukraine, peacekeepers would be able to give a "military response."
"A signal to Putin"
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has confirmed that Paris, London and Berlin will send senior military personnel to Kiev to discuss how to support the Ukrainian army in the future. The countries also intend to hold another meeting of the contact group on the defense of Ukraine.
Starmer said that the European-led military forces are designed to "send a signal to Putin" that compliance with the terms of the peace agreement is under control, writes The Guardian. Starmer clarified that the "deterrence forces" that may appear in Ukraine will rely on the might of the Ukrainian army.
When asked why London and Paris were in charge of the "coalition of the willing," he noted that "a number of countries" had asked him and Macron to take over, but in reality the group of states was acting together.
Ukraine needs an army
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, who also came to the summit, publicly condemned the deputy head of his office, Igor Zhovkva, who, in an interview with Agence France-Presse, said that Kiev was ready to deploy foreign military personnel on its territory, not peacekeepers. Zelensky was surprised by such words and hinted that someone was constantly communicating anonymously with the media.:
"I'm surprised that one of my advisers is in constant contact with you. He must be very influential, since he's talking about our contingents."
Zelensky stressed that the Ukrainian authorities do not want to continue the military conflict. At the same time, the Ukrainian leader mentioned the deployment of a full-fledged military contingent of partner countries.:
Zelensky added that Ukraine was offered options for sending OSCE or UN missions, but the Ukrainian side does not believe that they can guarantee security: "They have their own functions, but there is no corresponding mandate as a military contingent."
Alyona Fomina
