European Troop Dilemma: Balancing Security and Diplomacy in Ukraine

European leaders are discussing a potential troop deployment to Ukraine post-ceasefire amid mixed opinions on aims and mandates, and Donald Trump's stance on no U.S. involvement. This has led to internal debates on peacekeeping vs. deterrence roles, with Macron facing political backlash and significant logistic challenges anticipated for Europe.

European nations are engaged in discussions about potentially deploying troops to Ukraine if a ceasefire or peace agreement is reached, a scenario where U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has made it clear that American involvement is off the table, according to officials and diplomats.

Spearheaded by French President Emmanuel Macron, these early-stage talks have already highlighted differences regarding the objectives and framework of such a mission. With Kyiv struggling in the ongoing conflict, European leaders are cautious of signaling to Russian President Vladimir Putin that it might be time for negotiations, which could allow him to retain his territorial gains. The focus remains on bolstering military and economic support for Ukraine as no sign of negotiation readiness from Putin is observed.

Behind closed doors, discussions are considering how European countries might provide security guarantees for Ukraine, possibly involving tens of thousands of soldiers. While this action increases the risk of direct confrontation with Russia and strains resources depleted by support to Ukraine, Trump's position implies European nations may have to lead this initiative alone, whether Ukraine gets security guarantees through NATO membership or bilateral agreements.

(With inputs from agencies.)