Europe takes lead on Ukraine’s security after ceasefire as U.S. excluded from Paris talks

The Associated Press reported the information, citing a French military official.

Army commanders or their representatives from almost all 32 NATO member countries will take part in the talks in Paris, with the exception of the United States.

The official stated that the United States was not invited because European countries want to demonstrate that they can take responsibility for a significant part of Ukraine’s security system after a ceasefire.

Also present will be the chiefs of staff from Ireland and Cyprus, as well as a representative from Austria—all countries that are not NATO members but are part of the European Union. Australia and New Zealand, which are part of the Commonwealth, as well as Japan and South Korea, will listen to the negotiations remotely, the official said.

Ukraine will be represented by a military official who is also a member of the country’s Security and Defense Council.

According to the French official, the forces planned by France and Britain aim to reassure Ukraine and deter a new large-scale Russian offensive after any ceasefire. This could include heavy weaponry and stockpiles of arms that could be deployed within hours or days to help defend Ukraine in case of a Russian attack that violates the truce, the official added.

The Franco-British project will be presented to military officials from over 30 countries during the first part of the negotiations. The second part will involve “more precise and concrete” discussions, where participants will be asked whether their forces can contribute and in what way.

However, the official emphasized that the final decision on whether countries will participate in the security forces will be made at the political level by government leaders.

Peacekeeping troops in Ukraine: what’s known

At the end of January, Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that at least 200,000 peacekeeperswould be needed to secure Ukraine after combat operations cease. Later, the president clarified that U.S. troops should be included among the peacekeeping forces in Ukraine.

On February 11, The New York Times reported that Europe does not have 200,000 peacekeepers available for deployment to Ukraine. That number is nearly three times the size of the entire British Army. On the same day, Zelenskyy mentioned that the mission could proceed if 100,000 to 150,000 European troops were deployed.

According to AP, a group of European countries is secretly working on a plan to send troops to Ukraine. Defense Minister Rustem Umerov previously confirmed that Ukraine’s partners are already discussing the idea of a peacekeeping mission.

U.S. President Donald Trump supported the deployment of European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine but stated that the U.S. would not participate.

For now, European countries are only discussing the possibility of sending their troops to Ukraine, not specific numbers. This was confirmed by the spokesperson for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Christophe Lémonde.