UK, France negotiating "coalition of the willing" for Ukraine with 37 countries – Bloomberg
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are in talks with 37 countries to create a "coalition of the willing" for Ukraine in the event of a peace settlement.
As reported by Ukrinform, this was stated by Bloomberg.
The report highlights that the UK and France aim to strengthen Ukraine's position in negotiations, while U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to reach a settlement in the Russia-Ukraine war. The two European nuclear powers are working out a plan to help ensure Ukraine’s security.
The "coalition of the willing" would include countries from Europe, the Commonwealth of Nations, and Asia, offering funding, troops, aircraft, or naval vessels to help protect Ukraine from further Russian aggression, according to Bloomberg.
At a separate meeting in Paris on Tuesday, non-NATO countries such as Australia, Japan, and New Zealand joined discussions with military leaders from dozens of European nations and Canada, Bloomberg's anonymous sources revealed.
Each country was asked what contribution they were willing to make. Those unwilling to send troops to Ukraine were asked whether they would deploy forces to neighboring European countries or provide other forms of support, including mine-clearance vessels, ships, aircraft, tanks, and intelligence data.
In the coming days, military leaders will present detailed options for peacekeeping forces in Ukraine to Starmer and Macron. These options will be discussed with other world leaders during a virtual conference this weekend.
The plan will then be presented to Donald Trump, who is expected to provide U.S. security guarantees in the form of air forces, intelligence, and border surveillance, without deploying American troops for peacekeeping operations.
The UK and France aim to prevent the U.S. from conceding to Vladimir Putin's demands for Ukraine's demilitarization and forcing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to hold elections before a permanent peace agreement is reached.
On Wednesday, Starmer emphasized that Russia's abduction of Ukrainian children must also be addressed as part of the settlement.
As reported, following the European leaders' summit in London on March 2, Starmer announced that the UK was ready to support the "coalition of the willing" to enforce any peace agreement in Ukraine with "boots on the ground and aircraft in the skies." However, he stressed that European nations must bear the burden, but U.S. support is essential.
Photo: EPA/UPG