Europe Has Secret Plans for Ukraine, AP Reports

Several European countries are secretly working on a plan to send troops to Ukraine to help ensure the implementation of any future peace agreement with Russia, reports the Associated Press.

"A group of European countries, increasingly concerned that U.S. security priorities lie elsewhere, is working in secret to send troops to Ukraine to help secure compliance with any future peace agreement with Russia. Europeans began looking into what type of force may be needed about a year ago, but the sense of urgency has grown amid fears that U.S. President Donald Trump could bypass them and potentially even strike a deal with Putin over Ukraine," the report states.

It is noted that Great Britain and France are at the forefront of these efforts. According to the agency, details remain scarce. "It is clear that it will be difficult for Europeans to gather large forces, and they certainly will not be able to do so quickly," writes Associated Press.

Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur told the agency that it is crucial for European allies to understand what the line of contact in Ukraine will look like before developing a plan. If Moscow and Kyiv reduce their forces along the frontline to 'a few thousand on each side,' he said, 'it won't be a problem for Europe to be present there,' but if the conflict remains heated, it will be much more complicated. 'We are at a very early stage,' Pevkur added.

The Telegraph, citing British government sources, previously reported that London and Paris are holding high-level secret discussions regarding the possible deployment of peacekeeping forces to Ukraine after the conflict ends. Sources indicated that the UK Prime Minister is still not fully committed to the initiative, while French President Emmanuel Macron continues to push for the previously discussed idea with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to send military personnel to Ukraine.

The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service's press bureau had previously announced that the West plans to deploy a so-called peacekeeping contingent of 100,000 people to restore Ukraine's combat capability. The press secretary of the Russian President, Dmitry Peskov, stated that discussing the presence of peacekeepers in the neighboring country is premature.