Ukraine Allies Aim to Get US Offer to Deploy Troops Postwar
European leaders and US officials aim to finalize an agreement on security guarantees that include the possibility of American boots on the ground in postwar Ukraine in a bid to ensure that any peace deal endures.
The talks in Paris on Tuesday will focus on how to integrate capabilities recently proposed by Washington with plans drawn up by the so-called coalition of the willing that’s made up of Ukraine’s allies, according to people familiar with the matter.
French President Emmanuel Macron will host the meeting, which comes after a series of discussions between national security advisers over the last month. The US will be represented by President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the people added.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, other European leaders, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Top NATO military official Alexus Grynkewich, who also leads US forces in Europe, will also be in attendance.
It is unclear what role US troops would play or where they would be stationed in the event of a peace agreement with Russia. European nations have discussed deploying a multinational “reassurance force,” with Ukraine’s army leading its defense at the front line.
Leaders are expected to hold a press conference after the meeting and may release a declaration in the coming days if a formal agreement is reached, the people said.
The US is also willing to help monitor a ceasefire, including by providing intelligence, the people said. Drones and satellites would be used to identify breaches, they added.
European officials said their latest discussions with American counterparts were positive and that the current status of the proposed security guarantees was in a good place. One described the US offer of intelligence and troops as a game-changer. Another said it much more closely resembled the so-called American backstop sought by European nations over the last year.
The aim of the recent meetings between US, European and Ukrainian officials has been to finalize an agreement on security guarantees. It remains unclear whether Russian President Vladimir Putin would agree to the proposals. Ukraine’s allies will push for Russian participation after an agreement on security is reached with the US, one of the people said.
Other key sticking points remain, especially on territory, where Moscow is seeking the full withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donbas region of the country — something Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has rejected.
Zelenskiy told reporters over the weekend that the Paris meeting will “talk over the final details” of security guarantees. Kyiv and its European allies have insisted a strong deterrent is needed to ensure that Russia doesn’t attack Ukraine again after a peace deal is reached.
Zelenskiy said he’s asked Trump for security guarantees that could cover a period as long as half a century. Current proposals set out a 15-year term with the possibility of an extension.
Ukraine hopes to set up a meeting in the US at the leaders’ level by the end of January, he added.
Bloomberg previously reported that Ukraine’s allies were seeking a tiered approach to security guarantees. Beefed-up Ukrainian armed forces would become the first line of defense in the event of a ceasefire, then a multinational force from the coalition of the willing countries would be deployed further away from the frontline with the US providing a so-called backstop.
Source : Bloomberg.com
