Can West send military contingent to Ukraine?
Illustrative photo: Western troops can be sent to Ukraine under two conditions (Getty Images)
Sending a Western military contingent to Ukraine is likely possible under two conditions. One is the cessation of hostilities between Ukraine and Russia, stated political analyst Oleh Saakian in a comment to the RBK-Ukraine YouTube channel.
"A military contingent in Ukraine is possible under the condition of ending hostilities or in the event of a certain, let’s say, catastrophic scenario," Saakian believes.
According to him, a catastrophic scenario would be a Russian offensive on Kyiv or an attempt to occupy the Odesa region. However, there are currently no realistic reasons for such a scenario.
"But if the situation deteriorates significantly or, by some miracle, hostilities can be concluded diplomatically in acceptable terms, then such a contingent could become an effective tool," the political analyst clarified.
He explained that, for now, the military contingent remains a "bargaining chip" for French President Emmanuel Macron, with which he wants to bring the European Union back to the negotiating table. It implies a strong position.
The political analyst emphasized that a strong position could be formed through potential sanctions pressure, possible steps on China, or solidarity with US sanctions, as well as through providing certain guarantees, such as a "nuclear umbrella." These are the tools Europe can use.
"Because the Russia-Ukraine war has global implications and is a consequence of global destructive processes... So, these topics, both the military contingent and peacekeepers, are simply pieces being shuffled on the table to attempt to form some word from them with the hope that this will be a word of 'happiness,' rather than something negative," Saakian concluded.
Peacekeepers in Ukraine
Europe has begun discussing the possibility of sending a peacekeeping contingent to Ukraine, provided that the fighting between Russia and Ukraine stops.
As Pavlo Lakiichuk, head of security programs at the Strategia XXI Globalistics Center, explained in a commentary to the RBC-Ukraine YouTube channel, Russian President Vladimir Putin is against such a scenario. The head of the Kremlin wary of such a scenario since the beginning of the full-scale war.
