European Union countries must decide for themselves whether to participate in a possible peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, a European Commission spokesman said at a press conference in Brussels. The Commission will not propose such an initiative, but stressed that it supports efforts for "a just and lasting peace".
"There can be no solution for Ukraine without Ukraine. The EU and the US have a common interest in achieving a just peace, but it is important not to fall into Russia's traps," the spokesman said.
He added that the EU must provide Ukraine with the necessary resources, including ammunition and air defense systems.
The European Commission's statement comes at a time when leading European leaders are presenting different positions on the potential participation of peacekeeping forces in Ukraine.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose country left the EU in 2020, will host a meeting with a number of European leaders on Sunday. He has publicly stated that his country is ready to send forces for a peacekeeping mission, saying that Europe must take a greater role in ensuring peace in Ukraine, and on the European continent.
French President Emmanuel Macron sparked heated debate last year by saying that he did not rule out the possibility of sending international forces to Ukraine. This provoked sharp reactions from Russia, but also disunity among European leaders.
Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister of Poland, initially supported the idea of an increased presence in Ukraine, but later stated that his country would not participate in a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine.
Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu categorically rejected the possibility of his country sending troops, emphasizing that "Romania will not provide soldiers for deployment in Ukraine, but instead will continue to strengthen NATO's eastern flank on its territory."
We recall that the Bulgarian parliament adopted a declaration that our country will not send troops to Ukraine, and Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov specified that any decision to deploy Bulgarian troops in Ukraine can only be made by parliament.
The future policy of the United States also has a serious influence on European decisions. President Donald Trump has already made it clear that he has no intention of providing security guarantees for Ukraine. "That is a European job," he said in a recent statement, stressing that the US would not commit to continuing to fund Ukrainian defence at the same level as before.
On 2 March, Keir Starmer will host European leaders in London to discuss the situation in Ukraine and future security guarantees. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is also expected to attend the meeting.
A European Council is scheduled for 6 March, where leaders of all 27 EU member states will state their position on a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine and on strengthening European security in light of the US's stated intention to reduce or withdraw US forces from Europe in the future.