U.S. seeks European military pledge for Ukraine security
The United States has reached out to European countries to inquire about their potential contributions regarding security guarantees for Ukraine, Reuters reports, citing Finnish President Alexander Stubb. One diplomat mentioned that the document questions how many soldiers Europe is willing to deploy on Ukrainian territory.
Four European sources indicated that the United States has sent a document with inquiries to European countries concerning possible future contributions from European military forces. Two of them noted that the questionnaire was sent at the start of the current week. The document contains six questions, including one specifically addressed to European Union countries.
The British newspaper "Financial Times" reported that Washington has asked its European allies for information on weapons, peacekeeping troops, and security arrangements they can ensure for Ukraine.
During a conversation with Reuters at the Munich Security Conference, President Stubb stated that the survey is intended to prompt Europeans to reflect and decide on whether they will respond to the questionnaire and if that response will be unified.
U.S. initiative
Earlier, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said that Washington "has been clear that we expect European partners to take the lead in establishing a durable security framework and look forward to their proposals."
Reuters, citing a French official, reported on Saturday that France is discussing with its allies the organization of an informal summit of European leaders to address Ukraine issues. Four European diplomats confirmed that the meeting is set to take place on Monday in Paris.
