The military chiefs of 30 European and NATO countries are meeting in Paris to discuss a blueprint for a potential peacekeeping mission to Ukraine after any negotiated cease-fire with Russia.
The closed-door meeting on March 11-13 comes as US and Ukrainian officials meet in Saudi Arabia for talks aimed at ending Russia’s three-year war on Ukraine.
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The Paris meeting brings together the chiefs of staff of all 30 of NATO’s European members as well as Ukrainian officials. But there is one notable absence: the United States.
European officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told RFE/RL that US officials were not invited. Europe, the officials said, needs to show that it can take responsibility for the post-war security of the continent and Ukraine.
French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu suggested the Paris meeting will focus on how Europe could defend NATO’s eastern flank “if tomorrow the contributions of certain countries -- or one country in particular -- were to decrease.”
His comments at the start of the Paris meeting on March 11 were a reference to US President Donald Trump’s embrace of Moscow and his suggestions that the European continent, which has been under the US security umbrella for decades, should fend for itself.
France and Britain are working to form a “coalition of the willing” made up of European countries that would defend and guarantee peace in Ukraine after a deal with Russia is reached.
The meeting of military chiefs in Paris is aimed at seeing what other allies can contribute to a European peacekeeping force in Ukraine -- in terms of boots on the ground and military hardware.
French President Emmanuel Macron told European leaders during a special summit in Brussels on March 6 that 500,000-800,000 soldiers would be needed to safeguard a potential cease-fire in Ukraine, several European officials told RFE/RL.
The bulk of such a force would be Ukrainian. But it would need to be bolstered by troops from European NATO members, experts said.
Who's Willing To Contribute?
Paris and London have both indicated that they are ready to provide troops. Germany is also likely to follow suit, although Italy and Poland appear more reluctant.
Many European countries are grappling with military as well as political considerations.
The defense ministers of France, Britain, Italy, and Poland are set to meet in Paris on March 12 to discuss a European peacekeeping force.
Even as European military chiefs draw up plans, the deployment of forces would have to be green-lighted by parliaments in various countries -- something that is far from assured.
Beyond internal European politics, there are also two other substantial obstacles for any future European force in Ukraine -- one Russian and one American.
So far, the Kremlin has flatly rejected the presence of any European military personnel in Ukraine. Even if Moscow would agree, many European countries have indicated that they would only send troops to Ukraine if there was an “American backstop.”
What exactly such a backstop would entail is still up for negotiations. But European officials have told RFE/RL that the United States is crucial for air defense, intelligence, and transportation.
“Europe alone cannot carry out large-scale military operations without American aid,” a European ambassador, speaking under condition of anonymity, told RFE/RL.
