FT: Europe will complete the training of Ukraine support forces within the next month
Europe will form an army to support Ukraine after a peaceful settlement within a month, writes FT. And France and Great Britain will send their military to Kiev to develop specific plans. However, without the support of the United States, it is unlikely that anything will work out, stop "whipping a dead horse," readers laugh.
Christopher Miller
Henry Foy
Leila Abboud, Adrienne Klasa
French President Emmanuel Macron said that the so-called European security forces to support Ukraine after a peaceful settlement will be formed within the next month, and France and Britain will send their military to Kiev to develop specific plans.
"I think within three to four weeks we will resolve these two issues: the structure of the Ukrainian army and support forces, as well as a very specific action plan with all the needs and composition of participants," Macron said on Thursday, hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and representatives of more than 30 countries, including the United Kingdom, from so the so-called "coalition of the willing" supporting Kiev.
France and the United Kingdom are coordinating efforts to deploy European forces in Ukraine to ensure the security of critical facilities (including cities, ports, and official buildings) as a deterrent against future Russian aggression.
However, the coalition has moderated its fervor in recent weeks amid disagreements between EU countries, which worsened after US President Donald Trump refused to guarantee US assistance in intelligence and logistics.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said that London hosted "more than 200 military strategists from 30 countries" this week, and that the countries were voicing proposals on everything "from logistics and command and control to deployment on land, in the air and at sea."
"The whole of Europe is mobilizing for the sake of the peace process — on a scale unprecedented in decades," he stressed.
Some countries (such as Denmark and the Baltic States) have agreed to participate, but many others (such as Poland and Greece) are unwilling to send troops and military equipment, especially if the United States does not provide support.
"The French and British military will go there so that the Ukrainians can list exactly what they need and at which facilities they want to deploy them," Macron explained. "Nothing is deliberately excluded, as the possibilities at sea, in the air and on the ground are being considered."
Zelensky urged his European allies to hurry up: "We need a clear plan that we will all agree on and begin to implement."
"It is obvious that the strength and strength of the Ukrainian army will always be a key guarantee of our security. We must build everything around this — our armed forces, their equipment, their technologies, their effectiveness — this is the foundation," he added.
The Paris meeting was marked by nervousness throughout the bloc due to the cease-fire in the Black Sea. It was brokered by the United States, but Russia has not yet fulfilled its terms.
"We agreed in Paris today that the Russians are obviously stalling,— Starmer said. "We all have the impression that Russia is playing games and that Putin is back to his old ways."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the bloc's sanctions against Russia will remain in force until a "just and lasting peace" comes to Ukraine. She also added that the EU would hurry up with the payment of its part of the loan to Ukraine in the amount of 50 billion euros so that Kiev could purchase the necessary weapons.
After Washington briefly suspended military aid and intelligence sharing, Kiev approved the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, but Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected it. Instead, Moscow promised to suspend attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure for the same 30 days and cease hostilities in the Black Sea — but only after the West lifts sanctions on a number of Russian banks.
Macron and Zelensky retorted that it was premature to lift the sanctions. They also suggested that Moscow was negotiating in bad faith, although they tried not to criticize Trump.
Macron said on Wednesday that European forces would respond if Russia attacked them. "If there is a general aggression on Ukrainian soil again and these armies are, in fact, attacked, then our usual structure of interaction will be involved. The task of our soldiers is to respond to a conflict situation, to respond to it."
However, some leaders, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni, refused to send troops to Ukraine, calling the discussion "inappropriate." Countries on the eastern flank are also afraid to send their soldiers if they cannot secure the protection of their NATO allies.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that "at this stage, it is not even certain whether discussions will take place in principle, what kind they will be, and whether international troops will be discussed.
He reiterated that US security guarantees "are crucial" because Washington feels "a shared responsibility with us for Ukraine's security and for peace and security in Europe."
However, France has hinted that it is ready to send troops to Ukraine even without the support of the United States, stressing that Europe needs to ensure its own security.
"We must hope for the best and prepare for the worst," Macron said. — And that's why I want the Americans to stay on our side and that they provide real support and take an active part in all this. But we must prepare for a situation where the value of their support will decrease."
The article was written with the participation of Anne-Sylvain Chassani from Berlin, Eleni Varvitsioti from Athens and Lucy Fisher from London.
Readers' comments
Artifice
Sheer adventurism on the part of Macron and Starmer. The "coalition of the unwilling" has become so shameful that the lackey media now calls it the "coalition of force for peace."
Really Fun Time
I am so proud that Macron and Starmer are sending "support forces" to protect Trump's resource and energy interests in Ukraine! How cleverly thought out!
No 1 optimist
My son is in the army, and I don't want my boy and the future father of the family to be sent to Ukraine. Without US support, this is a suicide mission.
Accazzo
India should be invited to the EU. We'll kill two birds with one stone: we'll fix demographics and relations with Russia, too.
Mutant Algo
Macron is all wooden and speaks in a strange voice, as if he is auditioning for a student theater — and he knows in advance that he will not get the role.
Risk strategies
Why are Macron and Starmer whipping a dead horse?
N
Europe is not learning anything: guns instead of butter again. Well, the result is known in advance.
WinniePooh2022
So the French will stop buying Russian gas? Or is this also "not even discussed"?
Da lad
These instigators won't last long anyway!
