European capitals are working on «fairly precise plans» for the potential deployment of armed forces in Ukraine as part of security guarantees, which will be fully supported by US capabilities, said Ursula von der Leyen in an interview with the Financial Times.
«We have a clear roadmap, and we agreed on this at the White House... and this work is progressing very well», — reported the head of the European Commission.
The troops should include tens of thousands of European military personnel with US support, including command and control systems, as well as intelligence and surveillance means. These provisions were agreed upon at a meeting of President Donald Trump, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, and European leaders.
As three diplomats told FT, European leaders and Volodymyr Zelensky will gather on Thursday in Paris to continue the discussion.
At the same time, von der Leyen praised Trump's willingness to participate in peace efforts after months of uncertainty in European capitals regarding the US president's position.
«Putin has not changed, he is still a predator», — she said. In her opinion, Trump wants peace, while Putin does not come to the negotiating table, and the US president already has experience when «Putin does not do what he says».
Any Western military deployment in Ukraine will support a significantly strengthened Ukrainian army, which will become the core of deterrent forces. According to von der Leyen, the commission will explore all possibilities to ensure «sustainable funding for the Ukrainian armed forces».
The EU will maintain funding for the training of Ukrainian soldiers after the peace agreement is concluded. One of the proposals is to use the «Armament Loans» fund of 150 billion euros to conclude joint production agreements with Ukrainian defense companies or to purchase weapons that can be transferred to Kyiv.
Photo: AP