Finland warns against rushing peacekeeper deployment to Ukraine: Reason revealed
Photo: President of Finland Alexander Stubb (Getty Images)
President of Finland Alexander Stubb urged European leaders to approach the issue of a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine with caution and not to rush into it, Yle informs.
According to the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, a peacekeeping operation in Ukraine is unrealistic due to the risk of escalating the conflict with Russia and the required large-scale military resources.
He made this statement after the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) meeting in Tallinn.
Stubb noted that a potential peacekeeping mission would require a massive number of military forces. He emphasized that even a standard mission with 40,000 troops could provoke dangerous escalation, as approximately 500,000 Russian soldiers are stationed near the border.
The Finnish president believes that, in the initial phase, NATO security guarantees should play the primary role in ensuring Ukraine's security.
In his view, a successful peacekeeping mission would require at least 150,000 soldiers, and with troop rotations, this would amount to around 450,000 military personnel per year.
For this reason, Stubb stressed that it is too early to talk about a peacekeeping operation in Ukraine.
He also highlighted that any peacekeeping mission in Ukraine would require a clear UN mandate to avoid situations similar to the missions in Libya during the 1990s.
The Finnish president noted that Ukraine currently needs both short-term and long-term support. Priority areas include:
- Weapons and air defense systems
- Support for energy infrastructure
In the long term, Stubb believes that NATO membership should be the cornerstone of Ukraine's security guarantees.
Peacekeeping mission in Ukraine
Discussions are currently ongoing about the possibility of a future peacekeeping mission in Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron has suggested the idea of deploying European troops to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping mission in the event of a frozen conflict.
Italy's Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs have also commented on the possibility of sending Italian soldiers as part of a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine in the future. They emphasized that hostilities must first be brought to an end and stressed the importance of security guarantees for Ukraine.
Additionally, Politico reported details of an upcoming meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders scheduled for December 18. One of the topics on the agenda will be the potential peacekeeping mission in Ukraine.
