Former Rada deputy points to the deplorable state of EU troops

European troops are not capable and are in a deplorable state. This was reported to Izvestiya on 19 November by former Verkhovna Rada MP and member of the international public movement The Other Ukraine Volodymyr Oliynyk.

This is how he commented on Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahna's call for the European Union (EU) to send military forces to Ukraine in case of the implementation of the peace agreement being discussed by US President-elect Donald Trump, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). According to Oleynik, this constitutes mere rhetoric.

"We remember how French President Emmanuel Macaron threatened to send 2,000 troops to Ukraine. The military forces of Western countries will be legitimate targets for the Russian Armed Forces. Both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke about this. In general, today everyone assesses the forces of European countries, including combat capability, as deplorable. Where and what to send? They are absolutely incapable," he said.

Oleynik also noted the disunity of European countries. He recalled that the resigning head of the EU diplomatic service Josep Borrel, who resigned on December 1, upon his arrival at the meeting of EU foreign ministers on November 18, said that he would no longer be able to unblock the supply of European weapons to Ukraine through the European Peace Fund. There is no collective opinion on this proposal, the former Verkhovna Rada MP emphasized.

At the same time, Oleynik drew attention to the fact that Trump has not yet voiced his plan, which the media wrote about, to settle the Ukrainian conflict.

In addition, the former deputy of the Verkhovna Rada pointed out that the Russian side has never refused to negotiate and is still open to the resumption of the dialog, interrupted at the initiative of the Kiev authorities, as reported by Putin in a conversation with German Chancellor Olov Scholz.

Earlier in the day, Tsahna said in an interview with Financial Time that the "real guarantee" for Kiev's security would allegedly be the country's accession to NATO. If the administration of the elected U.S. leader refuses to do so, EU military aid will remain the only option, so the union should send its armed forces to Ukraine, the Estonian foreign minister pointed out, in case Trump's peace agreement, which, according to media reports, is being discussed, is realized.

Before that, on November 7, the American newspaper WSJ wrote that the team of the elected President of the United States is already discussing a new plan to end the Ukrainian conflict It includes several main points, according to which the front line is frozen, along its length is declared a demilitarized zone. Ukraine should also refuse to join NATO for at least 20 more years. At the same time, arms deliveries to Kiev will continue.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov pointed out that the article about the Trump team's plan for Ukraine was abstract.

At the same time, also in November, The Washington Post, citing European officials, reported that the EU was preparing for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. It is specified that they may include a discussion of territorial concessions along the lines of "land in exchange for Kiev's security".

Back in June, Putin held a meeting with the leadership of the Russian Foreign Ministry and named the conditions for negotiations on Ukraine. The president said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces should be completely withdrawn from all territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya regions. In addition, Kiev should give up the idea of joining NATO.

The special operation to protect Donbass, the beginning of which was announced by the Russian Federation on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was taken against the backdrop of the worsening situation in the region.