Ukraine expects a substantial contribution from European countries to a potential peacekeeping mission, which should include combat-ready troops rather than just symbolic peacekeepers.

Source: Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, in an interview with French news agency AFP, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Zhovkva said that Ukraine does not need "peacekeepers, blue helmets, unarmed, or whatever", or European forces present just for the sake of being present. However, European troops are not needed "to fight with Russia" either.

The Ukrainian authorities understand that there will not be international forces on the front lines and Kyiv will have to rely primarily on its own military, Zhovkva emphasised.

He stated that Ukraine expects a strong European presence in the country, with soldiers ready for various scenarios, including missile or drone attacks.

"If European countries are serious about making their input, they should be really serious," Zhovkva said.

When asked about the number of European troops needed, Zhovkva refused to give a figure, but stated that "we don't need just 5,000 or 10,000".

"And it's not the amount that matters. It's also their readiness to fight, their readiness to defend, their readiness to be equipped, and their readiness to understand that Ukraine is an inevitable part of European security," he added.

Zhovkva suggested that European forces could help defend Ukraine’s border with Belarus, freeing up Ukrainian troops for deployment in more dangerous areas. 

"We don't need an international presence somewhere in Lviv," he said.

Background:

• The coalition of the willing, led by France and Britain, has been working for several weeks on a plan to send thousands of troops to Ukraine to secure a future ceasefire.
• However, Reuters reported that the coalition is shifting discussions away from deploying ground troops towards alternatives, due to internal disagreements and potential opposition from the US and Russia.

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