France and UK plan troop deployment as ceasefire looms
Paris and London are considering deploying French and British troops along the demarcation line between Russia and Ukraine to monitor adherence to a ceasefire that may be achieved through negotiations, Radio Liberty reported, citing a high-ranking NATO official.
6:22 AM EST, December 3, 2024
According to Radio Liberty, various options are being considered in Paris and London that could be proposed if peace talks begin between Ukraine and Russia to ensure Ukraine's security.
One such proposal is the deployment of French and British troops along the demarcation line to monitor compliance with a potential ceasefire – a high-ranking NATO official informed.
According to the official, these discussions are occurring only in some capitals, not at the NATO level. Paris and London are trying to prepare options for various scenarios of the situation's development so that if queries arise from the new US administration, European countries could present ready proposals to support Kyiv.
Preparing concrete proposals and support options is also necessary to ensure the participation of European allies in peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, mediated by newly elected US President Donald Trump, the Radio Liberty interlocutor explained.
The French newspaper Le Monde previously reported that France and the United Kingdom plan to lead a military coalition in Ukraine and have resumed discussions about possibly deploying their troops in the country.
France "excludes no option"
The issue of French military engagement was also addressed during a conversation between French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and BBC News. In response to whether the participation of French troops in combat is possible, the minister stated that France "excludes no option."
Lithuania also supports France's idea of possibly sending Western troops to Ukraine, and the Lithuanian Ambassador to NATO, Deyvidas Matulionis, informed Radio Liberty. According to him, should France decide to take such a step, it would not require NATO's consent, as it could be a decision of individual nation-states.
French President Emmanuel Macron first raised this issue in February 2024 and explained in May that, in the event of Russian forces breaching the front line and Ukraine making an official request, France "would have the legal right to consider sending its troops."
Estonia: Do not send soldiers
In November, after discussions resumed in Paris, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani declared that his country would not send its soldiers to the war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur stated that "sending Western troops to Ukraine is not a good idea" because "the risks of such actions far outweigh the benefits."
