The debate over a potential peacekeeping force in Ukraine has seen the EU’s top military official suggest a “UN-mandated mission”to secure a ceasefire. The chairman of the EU’s Military Committee, Robert Brieger, told the Welt am Sonntag that a military presence of a scale in the higher five-digit range would be necessary to monitor a demilitarized zone along the front.
The backdrop is a recent call by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the World Economic Forum in Davos for a much larger force. “From all Europeans? 200,000, that’s the minimum. That’s the minimum, otherwise it’s nothing”Zelensky said when asked about a peacekeeping mission.
Brieger told the Welt am Sonntag that such a mission could not only include Europeans but also soldiers from the global south or the Caucasus. However, EU soldiers would “certainly be able to make a substantial contribution.”Brieger added that EU member states could, depending on a political decision, also provide a significant force for the monitoring of a ceasefire in Ukraine. To prevent the resumption of war and effectively secure the ceasefire, troops would need to be equipped with a robust mandate, allowing them to enforce the ceasefire with the use of force and air support, if necessary, Brieger said.
Designated UN Ambassador of Ukraine Andriy Melnyk called for “hundreds of thousands of soldiers with a very robust mandate to deter”and for them to be able to respond to any Russian provocations with force, if necessary. The Bundeswehr should play a central role, Melnyk said, adding that the mission’s success would depend on it being a transatlantic initiative.
However, Oberst André Wüstner, chairman of the German Bundeswehr Association, warned of the mission’s potential failure due to a lack of military capabilities among Europeans. “Before a strategic decision for a potential peacekeeping mission, it is essential to have clarity on the framework and available resources, otherwise the failure is programmed”Wüstner said. He emphasized the need for international coordination and planning, adding that Germany would not be able to avoid participation in the mission, but that necessary military acquisitions would need to be initiated quickly.
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Security and Defence, also urged for timely preparation to control a ceasefire or ensure the security of Ukraine in the event of a war’s end, saying, “All European militaries should prepare for such a scenario.”However, it is currently unclear if Putin will halt his military actions.