Europe may send troops to Ukraine after peace treaty: French FM
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Talks on sending troops to Ukraine will be initiated after a peace treaty, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot suggests.
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French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot attends a panel discussion during the Munich Security Conference at the Bayerischer Hof Hotel in Munich, Germany, on February 15, 2025. (AP)
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Tuesday that Europe will only decide to send troops to Ukraine as a security guarantee once a peace agreement is in place.
"This issue is off the table for now. Nobody says that troops will be sent to Ukraine today. It is too early to talk about that. This issue will be on the agenda after peace is reached," Barrot told France Info radio.
He stated that now is not the right time to discuss the specifics of security guarantees for Ukraine, emphasizing that the West should take stronger actions than ever to ensure its own security.
Jordan Bardella, leader of the right-wing National Rally party, expressed strong opposition on Tuesday to the idea of sending troops to Ukraine. He told BFMTV, "Since the very beginning of this conflict I have been saying that the biggest threat to Europe's security is to find itself alone in a conflict with a nuclear power."
Bardella added that the proposal, made by President Macron months ago, isolated France internationally and that the French public opposed sending troops to Ukraine.
The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) estimates that the West might deploy around 100,000 troops to Ukraine as a peacekeeping force to enhance its combat capability.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that peacekeeper deployment can only occur with the consent of all parties involved and emphasized that discussions on sending peacekeepers are premature.
On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss durable peace in Ukraine.
"After bringing together several European leaders, I have just spoken with President Donald Trump and then with President Zelenskyy. We seek a strong and lasting peace in Ukraine," Macron posted on X.
The French president added that Europe, the United States, and Ukraine are working together to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine, saying that Ukraine should receive "strong and credible" security guarantees.
European nations weigh the deployment of 30,000 troops to Ukraine
On a similar note, European nations were reportedly discussing the deployment of 25,000 to 30,000 military personnel to Ukraine, though they would not be positioned near the front lines, The Washington Post reported on Monday.
The proposal is part of ongoing deliberations among Western leaders on how to reinforce Ukraine's security without provoking direct military escalation with Russia.
The debate over European military involvement has gained traction as the United States moves to negotiate directly with Russia in the talks hosted by Saudi Arabia—without European or Ukrainian representatives. This shift has alarmed European leaders, prompting calls for a stronger, independent European security strategy.
French President Emmanuel Macron has urged European nations to take more responsibility for their defense, warning that reliance on US policy could leave Europe vulnerable.
An official from Macron's office explained to reporters that due to "the acceleration of the Ukrainian issue, and as a result of what US leaders are saying, there is a need for Europeans to do more, better and in a coherent way, for our collective security."
