Brussels (AP) – The British Defense Minister urged his counterparts on Thursday to around 30 countries to advance Future peace agreement With Russia, questions were there if the United States would provide a backup.
President of the first meeting of the so-called volunteer coalition at the level of the Defense Ministers, the British Secretary of Defense, John Healey, said that his members should ensure that we are fully prepared for the moment a peace agreement is concluded. “
“We must be ready when this peace arrives. This is why the work of this coalition is so vital,” Healey told NATO headquarters in Brussels. He added that 200 military planners have developed plans to deepen European participation in Ukraine.
In an article on social networks, the Ukrainian Minister of Defense, Rustem Umerov, said that “Ukraine is ready for peace – that which is fair and supported by force”.
Ukrainian government officials and military analysts said Russian forces were preparing to launch a new military offensive in Ukraine in the coming weeks to maximize Kiev and strengthen the Kremlin negotiation position In the cease-fire talks.
As usual with coalition gatherings, the United States has not participated. The success of the coalition operation hinge On American safeguard with air power or other military assistance, but the Trump administration has made no public commitment to provide support.
The Netherlands, Sweden and Finland highlighted the “crucial” role in the United States.
“The United States is a crucial player still guaranteeing sustainable security,” in Ukraine, said Finnish Minister for Defense Annit Häkkänen. His Swedish counterpart, Pål Jonson, said that success in Ukraine requires “a form of American engagement” while the Dutch Minister of Defense Ruben Brekelmans described the American support for “very important”, but said that the form he had taken could differ, depending on the type of European mission chosen in Ukrain.
EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the ministers “were trying to keep the United States on board.”
In the midst of this uncertainty and American warning That Europe must take care of its own security and that of Ukraine in the future, force is considered to be a first test of the continent’s will to defend itself and its interests.
Its makeup will depend on the nature of any peace agreement, but it is unlikely that the contingent will be parked on the border of Ukraine with Russia. It would be located further on the ceasefire line, perhaps even outside Ukraine, and would unfold to counter any Russian attack.
Building a force large enough to act as a credible means of deterrence is a considerable effort for the nations who reduced their soldiers after the Cold War but are now rearmed. British officials spoke of 10,000 to 30,000 soldiers.
Healey said that “Ukraine’s comfort force would be a committed and credible security agreement to guarantee that any negotiated peace brings what President Trump has promised: a lasting peace for Ukraine”.
But some countries hesitate to contribute to staff without American support. Europeans cannot equal American weapons systems, information collection and satellite surveillance capacities.
More fundamentally, the members of the coalition are always trying to establish how the force would work: the main countries want a solid deterrent to defend themselves against any Russian attack.
Brekelmans said key questions should be answered as “what is the potential mission?” What will be the goal? What is the mandate? What would we do in different scenarios, for example, if there would be an escalation concerning Russia? ”
Some countries – Italy and the Netherlands, for example – require the approval of their national parliaments before being able to deploy troops.
Friday, representatives of fifty nations will meet at NATO to enlarge military support in Ukraine. This meeting will be chaired by Great Britain and Germany. US Secretary for Defense Pete Hegseth should not participate.
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The writer AP, Sam McNeil, contributed to this report in Barcelona, in Spain.
