About 10 European countries would be prepared to send troops to Ukraine once Russia’s full-scale war ends, Bloomberg reports, citing informed sources.
According to the report, European officials discussed a plan on Tuesday to deploy British and French forces in Ukraine as part of a future peace agreement, including troop numbers and their placement.
The U.K. government said that in the coming days, European military officials will meet with U.S. representatives to develop “robust security guarantees” and “prepare for the deployment of a reassurance force if the hostilities ended.”
Bloomberg’s sources added that the first phase of the proposed support package would focus on strengthening the Ukrainian military through training and personnel reinforcement. This would be handled by a multinational group composed primarily of European troops, with the U.K. and France sending hundreds of soldiers to Ukraine, stationed away from the front lines.
Another part of the plan reportedly involves U.S. support, including intelligence sharing, border surveillance, weapons deliveries, and possibly air defense.
The Russian authorities have been firmly opposed to any NATO troops being stationed in Ukraine. “We reaffirm our long-stated position of categorical rejection of any scenarios involving the presence of a military contingent from NATO countries in Ukraine,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Monday.
In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington will help defend Ukraine after the war but will not send troops to the country.
