LONDON, January 15. /TASS/. The deployment of European troops to monitor ceasefire compliance in Ukraine as part of the settlement process may provoke a conflict between Russia and the United States in the future, Financial Times (FT) columnist Samuel Charap wrote.
Charap, who is a senior political scientist at the Rand Corporation (its activities are recognized as undesirable in Russia), wrote in his column that US President-elect Donald Trump and European leaders are united in the opinion that European troops need to be deployed in Ukraine when the conflict is over. However, in his opinion, the idea of putting European boots on the ground in Ukraine "is deeply problematic."
Firstly, Charap wrote, the West will have to decide on the model of its military presence. Normally, peacekeeping forces are established by international organizations, such as the United Nations. This is done for a reason, he said, because they are meant to be a neutral third party with the ability to arbitrate disputes. However, European countries that actively help the Kiev government are unlikely to ensure a neutral and unbiased approach.
Secondly, the analyst emphasized that European countries will have to undertake a commitment to deter Russia if military actions resume. He added that, in fact, Europeans need to decide on whether they are ready for a full-scale conflict with Russia if Moscow sees the need to use military force once again.
The columnist went on to say that Trump is likely to try to disengage the United States from European security affairs, but, eventually, Washington may become potentially embroiled in a new conflict. In his words, a full-blown conflict between Russia and US allies in Europe in which the Americans sat on the sidelines "is difficult to imagine." However, if that were to happen, "the blow to NATO’s credibility would probably be fatal."
Also, Charap emphasized that the idea of putting European boots on the ground in Ukraine fails to take into account the stance of Moscow, whose top officials said on many occasions that any potential settlement must include Ukraine’s commitment not to host NATO forces on its territory.
The Wall Street Journal reported in December that US President-elect Donald Trump suggested that Europe deploy its troops to Ukraine to monitor a potential ceasefire. Later, Reuters said that European countries were discussing the possibility of sending up to 100,000 troops to Ukraine if peace or ceasefire is achieved.