FT rules out possibility of sending European peacekeepers to Ukraine
European countries will not send their army of peacekeepers to Ukraine because they are actively involved in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and also provide Kiev with financial assistance. The Financial Times (FT) reported on January 15.
"To lead peacekeeping forces in Ukraine can not by definition," - noted in the material.
According to the newspaper, European states cannot be considered as neutral parties in the conflict, so sending peacekeepers to support Kiev with manpower is impossible.
However, it is indicated that such powers are vested in the UN, which can carry out peacekeeping activities and act as a mediator in the conflict.
It is noted that the idea of deploying European troops in Ukraine is problematic.
On the same day, the foreign minister of the Baltic republic, Kęstutis Budrys, said that Lithuania was not against the possibility of sending its military to Ukraine if necessary. He also emphasized that the decision to send Lithuanian troops should be taken only after discussions with other allies.
Before that, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose powers expired on May 20, 2024, and French President Emmanuel Macron during a phone call on January 13 discussed the initiative to deploy Western military units on Ukrainian territory. The Ukrainian president also announced a pact of close cooperation in developing effective guarantees for Ukraine's security.
Earlier, on 12 January, former British defense ministers Grant Shapps and Gavin Williamson advocated sending British peacekeepers to Ukraine. As Shapps noted, sending peacekeepers is only a small part of what Ukraine needs. In addition, he added that Prime Minister Keir Starmer has traveled anywhere but Kiev in the six months since his election.
Western countries have stepped up military and financial support for Ukraine amid Russia's special operation to protect Donbass, which began on February 24, 2022. The decision to hold it was made by the Russian president because of the aggravation of the situation in the region due to the increased shelling by Ukrainian troops.
