EU soldiers for peace

Sending soldiers to Ukraine after the end of the war with Russia. This is the topic that French President Emmanuel Macron will address today in Warsaw with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The meeting will be an opportunity to discuss the deployment of a peacekeeping force after the conclusion of the conflict. The topic is on the table, as a European Union diplomat and a French official report to Politico.

The meeting between Macron and Tusk comes as fears grow that the incoming administration of Donald Trump, the new president of the United States, will force Europeans to take on greater military responsibilities in Ukraine. The next occupant of the White House has on several occasions raised the possibility of reducing military aid to Kiev.

The hypothesis: 40 thousand soldiers in Ukraine

“It’s true,” confirmed the EU diplomat when asked for his opinion on the article in the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita, according to which the two countries are discussing a potential peacekeeping force of 40,000 men made up of troops from foreign countries.

However, a Polish diplomat said so surprised by Macron’s proposal. “This is not a formula that would allow us to make such a decision,” and added that peacekeeping missions should be decided within the framework of the United Nations or the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), not in a bilateral discussion with the French president. Sending Polish troops to Ukraine “would only make sense within the framework of NATO”, he stressed.

Rebus Germany, yes to peacekeepers but without sending soldiers

Sending peacekeepers to Ukraine could allay Kiev’s fears, worried that its allies might back down in the event of a resumption of war with Vladimir Putin’s Russia. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock addressed the issue of ‘peacekeeping’ last week: “Of course everything that serves peace in the future” will be “supported by the German side with every effort.” However, Berlin’s official position remains against any troop deployment.

From Warsaw they are waiting to evaluate Macron’s proposal before there is clarity on the path taken by the United States after Donald Trump’s swearing-in: “It’s difficult to even discuss such a topic before January 20,” when the new president takes office. In any case, the proposal for a peacekeeping force is different from that aired in recent months by the French president for sending military instructors to Ukraine.