Europe pushes plan for 40-kilometer buffer between Ukraine and Russia - Politico
European leaders are considering the possibility of creating a 40-kilometer buffer zone between the Russian and Ukrainian frontlines as part of a peace agreement, according to Politico.
According to five European diplomats, this proposal is one of several being examined by military and civilian officials in relation to a post-war scenario or a ceasefire in Ukraine.
The idea is to establish a demilitarized area where peacekeeping contingents could operate to monitor the ceasefire.
But officials are divided on how deep the actual zone could be and how many troops would be needed to patrol it. The figures currently under discussion range from 4,000 to 60,000 troops.
So far, countries have not made any commitments, and President Donald Trump has outright rejected the potential presence of US forces.
It is also unclear whether Kyiv would approve this plan, as it would likely involve territorial concessions.
“They’re grasping for straws,” commented Jim Townsend, a former Pentagon official who oversaw European and NATO policy under the Obama administration. “The Russians are not afraid of the Europeans. And if they think that a couple of British and French observers are going to deter them from marching into Ukraine, then they’re wrong.”
As reported by RBC-Ukraine, a massive Russian strike on Kyiv on August 28 damaged the building of the European Union mission in Ukraine.
European Council President António Costa stated that the Russians deliberately damaged the EU representation building, which supports Ukraine in the war.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha emphasized that Russia’s strike on diplomats is a direct violation of the Vienna Convention.
