Media reports Macron trying to push for deploying EU troops to Ukraine
Date
12/16/2024 6:18:05 AM
(MENAFN) French President Emmanuel macron is set to urge EU leaders to consider sending a peacekeeping mission to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire with Russia, according to reports by radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The peacekeeping force would be responsible for monitoring a potential truce if peace negotiations between Moscow and Kiev succeed. Macron plans to raise the issue at the upcoming EU summit.
The idea of deploying Western peacekeepers to Ukraine was initially proposed by US President-elect Donald trump during a meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and Macron in Paris on December 7. Trump has reportedly been working on diplomatic proposals to resolve the conflict, with a particular emphasis on involving European nations in monitoring a ceasefire.
The concept was subsequently discussed by British and French officials, with Macron reportedly presenting it to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk earlier this week. However, Tusk stated that no plans for EU peacekeepers were currently in place. Discussions on the potential deployment are still in the early stages, and it remains unclear which countries might participate or how many troops would be involved. Some EU officials have cautioned that it is premature to consider peacekeeper deployment until there is a ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine.
Kaja Kallas, the EU's top diplomat, emphasized that peacekeeping missions would only be feasible once both sides agree to a ceasefire, and that each European country would have to decide individually whether to participate.
This initiative is part of ongoing efforts to involve the EU in potential peace talks, with Trump’s peace plan aiming to freeze the conflict along current lines while suspending Ukraine’s NATO membership bid. However, Russia has rejected the idea of freezing the conflict and insists that any settlement would require Ukraine’s withdrawal from territories claimed by Russia and the fulfillment of Moscow’s goals, including Ukraine’s neutrality and demilitarization.
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