However, there can be no calendar for military deployment until there is a cease-fire.
Healey stressed that the comfort mission would not be a “peacekeeping force” which would separate the sides at war. “The best way to cement a ceasefire is the strength of the Ukrainian forces themselves,” he added.
He was taken over by Kaja Kallas, the best diplomat in the EU. “For the moment, there is no peace to keep,” she said. “It is up to the Member States to provide a concrete number of troops, some Member States are ready to participate, some are not, discuss that if there is peace.”
Another complication is the reluctance of the United States to provide aid in a military mission in Ukraine. Many countries are wary of moving forward without logistics, air defense and intelligence support for the US military.
The coalition “tries to keep the United States on board,” said Kallas.
“We emphasize that the United States must be a key player to ensure peace in Ukraine,” Finnish Minister Antti Häkkänen told journalists before the meeting.
Another group of Ukrainian allies, Ukraine Defense Contact Group, meets on Friday at NATO headquarters in Brussels. Healey said he will announce new support for Kyiv.
Csongor Körömi and Esther Webber contributed the reports.
