President Zelensky pushes for troop deployment, France and Britain lead efforts, Germany is ready, but some countries are still dissatisfied

On March 27, about 30 leaders of European countries and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met in Paris (France) to discuss increasing military support for Kiev and determining Europe's role in Russia-Ukraine peace talks.

European leaders gather at a summit in France to discuss support for Ukraine after a ceasefire. (Source: Getty Images)

The summit comes as the US has been trying to broker separate talks with Russia and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia, with Kiev backing two ceasefire deals on the Black Sea and energy infrastructure, while Moscow has made additional demands, leaving many in Europe concerned that a peace deal is still a long way off.

According to Ukrinform news agency, President Zelensky called on European leaders to develop a concrete plan for the deployment of coalition forces. He stressed that Ukraine will raise specific questions in all negotiations with Europe, the United States and other partners.

In the statement, he noted the questions include: "Which countries will participate on land, in the air and at sea in Ukraine? Where exactly will these forces be deployed? What will their numbers and composition be? What will their response procedures be if there is a threat? When will the coalition actually deploy forces in Ukraine, when the ceasefire begins or when the war ends completely and a settlement is reached?".

The President of Ukraine stressed the need for a clear, agreed and immediately implemented plan based on the discussed options, so that all European countries can participate. He proposed inviting a group of representatives from European countries to Ukraine to jointly develop this plan.

Meanwhile, on the same day, host country French President Emmanuel Macron announced that his country and the UK are leading efforts to establish a "security force" to be sent to Ukraine to prevent the risk of re-emergence of conflict after a ceasefire agreement.

French President Emmanuel Macron stressed that the proposal to deploy forces came from Britain and France, based on Ukraine's wishes, although there was no full European consensus. He noted that not all countries on the old continent could participate, due to limited military capabilities or hesitation.

He also affirmed that while support from the US is important, Europe needs to be ready to deal with the scenario that Washington may not participate in the future.

The French leader announced that at the summit, European leaders agreed that he and British Prime Minister Starmer would coordinate and lead the European coalition for lasting peace and stability. In the coming time, a delegation from the two countries will visit Ukraine to discuss the deployment of security forces, as well as the strategy to strengthen Kiev's military capabilities in the future.

For his part, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that European countries are making great efforts to find solutions to strengthen security and ensure long-term, sustainable peace for Ukraine if there is a ceasefire agreement to end the conflict that has lasted for more than 3 years in this Eastern European country.

In addition, Prime Minister Starmer reaffirmed Britain's commitment to maintaining full support for Kiev for as long as necessary.

Also on March 27, at an event held in Berlin, Germany, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and his Estonian counterpart Hanno Pevkur signaled their readiness to help ensure peace in Ukraine with infantry, at least in theory.

“I cannot imagine a scenario where Germany would not be involved in the outcome of ceasefire or peace negotiations,” said German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. “However, the decision to participate must be taken at the appropriate time, depending on many factors such as the size of the force and the specific mission.”

Most European countries have said they are ready or at least do not rule out the possibility of deploying peacekeeping forces in Ukraine under the “coalition of the willing” model if the conflict is resolved. However, there are still countries that have stated that they will not participate.

On Facebook, Croatian President Zoran Milanovic announced that his country's soldiers will not participate in any European deployment in Ukraine and has no intention of sending troops there, although he continues to support Kiev.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/chau-au-ban-chuyen-ukraine-tong-thong-zelensky-don-ep-viec-dieu-quan-phap-anh-dan-dau-no-luc-duc-san-sang-van-co-nuoc-khong-bang-long-309089.html