Russia Strongly Opposes the Deployment of Western Forces in Ukraine
Maria Zakharova, March 27, 2025. X/ @RT_com
March 27, 2025 Hour: 12:42 pm
The UK and France were willing to deploy and command a ‘peacekeeping force’ of 20,000 troops in Ukraine.
On Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed that her country is “categorically against” the possible deployment of Western peacekeepers in Ukraine.
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Such a scenario could lead to a direct clash between Russia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Zakharova said, adding that London and Paris are hatching plans for “a military intervention in Ukraine” under the guise of a peacekeeping operation.
Under the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron, representatives from 30 countries participated in the “Coalition of the Willing” Summit in Paris, where they discussed possible modalities for deploying a potential peacekeeping force in Ukrainian territory.
In Ukraine, there will be a peacekeeping force sent by several European countries if a final agreement to end the war is reached, said Macron, who acknowledged that “there is no unanimity” among the countries gathered in Paris regarding their participation in this force.
This is because some countries “do not have the capacity” to participate in the peacekeeping force, while others lack internal political consensus to do so. Even so, Macron made it clear that such unanimity “is not necessary” for the initiative to move forward.
He also wants U.S. support for this peacekeeping force. Although Macron spoke by phone with President Donald Trump before the Elysee summit, he did not specify whether this particular issue was discussed.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer avoided giving “a strict deadline” for the deployment of the peacekeeping force. However, he estimated that it would be necessary for the force “to be deployed in days and weeks, not in months and months.”
Macron made it clear that France and the United Kingdom will “jointly lead” European efforts in Ukraine. In this regard, both countries will soon send a military mission to Ukraine to assess, on the ground, the possibilities for deploying the force, including locations, capabilities, and size.
This military mission will also work with Ukrainian officials to design the country’s future Armed Forces, evaluating ideal troop numbers and technical capabilities, with the idea that a strong national army is Ukraine’s best guarantee of security against Russia.
Both Macron and Starmer insisted that this would be a peacekeeping force with the sole objective of deterring Russia from launching a new attack on Ukraine.
British diplomatic sources previously indicated that the allied contingent would consist of approximately 20,000 troops and would be limited to protecting strategic infrastructure.
teleSUR/ JF
Sources: Xinhua – RT – EFE
