Macron's "reassurance forces" plan faces Russian resistance
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, announced the potential deployment of international forces in Ukraine if a ceasefire is achieved. He called them "reassurance forces," though Russia has voiced significant opposition. "There is a long way to go before sending troops. It's more about showing Europe's determination; a trial balloon," says retired Colonel Maciej Matysiak.
A summit took place on Thursday in Paris with leaders from around 30 countries supporting Ukraine, known collectively as the "coalition of the willing." They discussed possible solutions to end the conflict. After the meeting, the French president announced that a French-British mission would soon head to Ukraine. Its task is to prepare the future structure for the Ukrainian army in anticipation of a potential deployment of international forces after a ceasefire is reached between Kyiv and Moscow.
The goal is to identify "strategic locations" where Western military forces could be deployed. However, Macron emphasized that these will not be "peacekeeping forces" nor "combat units on the front line."
"Macron releases a trial balloon"
The "reassurance forces" would cover sea, air, and land areas. As Macron announced, the countries' foreign ministers participating in the Paris meeting have three weeks to prepare a proposal for monitoring the ceasefire in Ukraine. The French president acknowledged that there is no unanimity on this matter yet.
According to retired Colonel Maciej Matysiak, former deputy head of the Military Counterintelligence Service and an expert at the Stratpoints foundation, such declarations allow Europe, especially the French president, to build their political narrative.
- The U.S. is talking with Russia and Ukraine, and Europe is being sidelined in these discussions. Macron releases a trial balloon in the form of a declaration of sending "reassurance forces." On the principle of: how far can we go - says retired Colonel Matysiak.
He adds that it's still uncertain which soldiers, if any, will be in Ukraine.
But operational planning has begun to ensure it is not just a declaration. Macron says that troops will appear after peace is established. The thing is, today, we do not have any accurate arrangements between Kyiv and Moscow. The expert notes that neither side has even sat down at a common negotiation table.
France and the UK at the negotiating table
Following the conclusion of the Paris summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that there is no alternative to Europe's participation in peace talks about Ukraine.
Speaking at a press conference in Paris, he stated that Ukraine firmly believes Europe must have a seat at the table in any talks about ending the war, stressing that no other options are being considered.
Zelensky emphasized that Europe, as a significant player, deserves clear representation in these discussions. He noted that all European partners had agreed to have France and the UK speak on their behalf.
The Kremlin is clearly opposed
Meanwhile, the spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, stated that deploying peacekeeping forces in Ukraine would constitute a pretext for initiating hostilities between Russia and NATO.
Zakharova argued that Russia is categorically opposed to such a scenario, which threatens a direct clash between Russia and NATO.
A respondent for criticizes Russian propaganda claims.
