European countries are secretly working on a plan to deploy troops to Ukraine

^{Photo: AP}
A number of European countries are secretly working on a plan to send troops to Ukraine to help enforce a future peace deal with Russia.

According to the Associated Press (AP), the Europeans began studying the options about a year ago, with Britain and France leading the effort.

"A group of European countries, increasingly concerned about the shifting U.S. security priorities, are secretly working on a plan to send troops to Ukraine," the AP reported.

The agency also noted that the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump have created a "sense of urgency" in these countries. Details are scarce, but the composition and mission of the forces will be determined by the terms of the peace agreement, and it would be “definitely impossible” to mobilize a large contingent in a short period of time.

According to Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, the plans are at a very early stage and it is crucial for Europeans to understand what the border line will be. A few days ago, the Baltic state’s foreign minister also stressed that Estonia must participate in the negotiations on security guarantees for Ukraine.

Recently, the Telegraph newspaper, citing sources in the British government, reported that the leaders of Great Britain and France are secretly discussing the issue of sending a joint “peacekeeping force” to Ukraine. According to the newspaper, Prime Minister Keir Starmer is not yet fully convinced by the initiative.

President Emmanuel Macron, who has been talking about sending troops to Ukraine for a year, continues to promote the idea.

Earlier, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth told a meeting of defense ministers of the Ukraine Contact Group in Brussels in the Ramstein format that American troops would not be deployed on Ukrainian territory as a guarantee of Kiev's security. According to him, a mission involving European and non-European forces without NATO sponsorship could provide guarantees of Ukraine's security.

"Let me be clear: American troops will not be deployed on Ukrainian territory under any security guarantees," Hegseth said.

According to him, a lasting peace can be achieved by providing "credible security guarantees that ensure that war does not resume." He stressed that Ukraine's membership in NATO would not be a realistic outcome of a diplomatic solution to the conflict, saying that security guarantees for Ukraine should be reinforced by "combat-capable European or non-European militaries."

"If these troops are ever deployed in Ukraine as peacekeepers, they should be deployed as part of a non-NATO mission and Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty should not apply to them," he said, referring to the alliance's mutual defense clause.

Speaking at the Ramstein format meeting, the politician also described the possibility of returning Ukraine to its pre-2014 borders as unrealistic. Follow “Zamin” news on “Telegram”