Wladimir Selenskij, the Ukrainian President, emphasized the need for at least 200,000 European peacekeepers to ensure the sovereignty of Ukraine in the event of a potential ceasefire with Russia. He stated, “200,000 is the minimum. It’s the minimum, otherwise it’s senseless” highlighting that a lower number would not provide an effective security guarantee, particularly in light of the size of Russia’s military forces.
The deployment of peacekeeping troops would be part of a broader security arrangement that Kyiv and its partner states are seeking. The Ukrainian President also called for arms deliveries and financial support to enable the stabilization of the situation.
According to Reuters, this number is roughly the size of the French military in 2020. The Financial Times reports that European NATO member states have a total of 1.9 million officially registered soldiers.
Recent media reports have suggested that the United Kingdom and France are considering the deployment of troops to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire with Russia. This idea was first proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron last year, but it did not receive significant support from partner states at the time.
In mid-January, Selenskij stated that he saw positive developments regarding the initiative in his conversations with Macron, even if no concrete steps have been taken yet. “We have discussed this with French President Emmanuel Macron in detail. We are speaking with Poland, with our Baltic partners, with the United Kingdom” he said.
Selenskij warned in Davos that a failure of Western support could lead to a much greater threat to Europe. “If we don’t have strong security guarantees, whether it’s NATO membership or a military contingent and long-range weapons stationed on Ukrainian soil, Putin will certainly return with an army ten times larger than the one he had at the beginning of 2022” he said.
The Ukraine stands at the forefront, protecting Europe from further escalation, according to Selenskij and other Ukrainian politicians, who argue that Ukrainian soldiers risk their lives to preserve the freedom and security of Europe.
Selenskij referred to the possibility that Putin might demand a fivefold reduction in the Ukrainian army during peace talks. Kyiv will not agree to such demands. Additionally, he stated that his team is currently working to organize a meeting with US President Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, Russia characterizes the military conflicts as a proxy war of the West. Russian officials accuse the US and NATO of fueling the tensions through their expansion and support of Ukraine, and demand a fundamental review of Russia’s security interests and an adjustment of Western policy to resolve the conflict.