BRUSSELS, April 3. /TASS/. European countries are considering the possibility of using NATO structures in the deployment of peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, the Financial Times (FT) said, citing EU officials.
According to one of the proposals, discussed at meetings of a so-called "coalition of the willing" under the auspices of France and the UK, NATO’s command and control structures "would be used in a deployment of a so-called reassurance force in Ukraine." Under this initiative, the peacekeeping force "would also tap the alliance’s shared intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities."
Engaging NATO in this operation is seen by supporters of the reassurance force "as a way to indirectly involve the US in the endeavor and secure Washington’s tacit support," the newspaper said. It noted that "the ‘coalition’ discussions led by Paris and London involving the leaders and ministers of some 30 nations have repeatedly stressed that some form of US ‘backstop’ is crucial to any deployment."
On March 27, a summit of the so-called "coalition of the willing" took place in Paris, where representatives from approximately 30 countries discussed potential security guarantees for Kiev following the end of the Ukrainian conflict. One of the primary topics was the possible deployment of a military contingent on Ukrainian territory. Notably, the United States did not participate in this summit. However, reports suggest that several countries are willing to engage in a so-called peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, provided they have support from Washington.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated on March 12 that the presence of NATO troops on Ukrainian soil, regardless of their flag or capacity, poses a threat to Russia. He emphasized that Moscow would not tolerate this under any circumstances.