Ukrainian official explains country's vision for European peacekeeping mission
www.pravda.com.ua
Wed, 26 Mar 2025 20:43:59 +0200
Ukraine expects a substantial contribution from European countries to a potential peacekeeping mission, which should include combatready 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 dont need just 5,000 or 10,000.
And its not the amount that matters.
Its 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 Ukraines border with Belarus, freeing up Ukrainian troops for deployment in more dangerous areas. We dont 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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