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Zelensky's Advisor Emphasizes Need for European Forces Ready for Combat
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Kyiv's demand for European forces ready for combat, not just peacekeeping, reflects a Ukrainian strategic vision recognizing that military deterrence is necessary to guarantee any future peace agreeme
A senior advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed today, Wednesday, that Kyiv is demanding the European Union make a "serious" contribution by providing forces ready for combat, not just peacekeeping forces, after the end of the conflict with Russia, in a position reflecting Ukraine's vision for the post-war phase.
Ukrainian negotiator Ihor Zhovkva told AFP before an anticipated international summit in Paris: "We don't need a presence merely to show that Europe is present," emphasizing the importance of combat effectiveness for potential forces.
He added that "numbers are not the most important factor... but rather their (European forces) readiness to fight, readiness to defend, readiness to be equipped with gear, and readiness to realize that Ukraine is an indispensable part of Europe's security," confirming the close connection between Ukraine's security and comprehensive European security.
He continued: "Every soldier must be ready to engage in a real battle. This is what Ukrainians have been doing for three years and perhaps more. If you're a soldier, you must be ready to participate in battle," in a clear indication that a symbolic presence of European forces would not be sufficient to deter any potential Russian aggression.
Zhovkva (45 years old) participated in two rounds of talks with Americans in Saudi Arabia and spoke to AFP on the eve of a new summit in Paris for a "coalition of the willing" from European and other countries. The goal is to provide security guarantees to Kyiv within the framework of potential regional security arrangements.
In a related context, the UN official in charge of peacekeeping operations said Tuesday that the possibility of deploying peacekeeping forces in Ukraine with UN authorization is "very theoretical" at this stage, reflecting the difficulty of achieving international consensus on this issue.
European countries are currently formulating plans to guarantee a potential ceasefire in Russia's war on Ukraine that could include deploying a peacekeeping force, but these efforts face major challenges due to international division over the conflict.
When asked about this issue in Brussels, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix told reporters: "It can be said that the matter is very, very theoretical," adding: "The question is raised and we're thinking about it... but we're not planning for anything."
Lacroix explained that any UN peacekeeping mission in Ukraine would first need authorization from the UN Security Council, noting that his teams have not received any indications "at this stage" in this regard. He said: "We are not authorized to plan, and we cannot really know on what basis we would plan currently."
Paris will host a new summit tomorrow, Thursday, for the "coalition of the willing" formed by France and Britain, where French President Emmanuel Macron will receive his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky this evening at the Élysée Palace to "prepare" for the summit.
Macron will organize a new summit on Thursday morning on "Peace and Security for Ukraine," as part of a series of meetings held in recent weeks in Paris and London aimed at establishing "security guarantees" for Kyiv in the context of a potential peace agreement with Russia, which the United States under President Donald Trump's leadership is seeking to push forward.
More than twenty countries have been invited to participate in Thursday's summit, from the European Union and NATO, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, and Turkey, in an attempt to unify international efforts to support Ukraine in facing ongoing security challenges.
