US refuses to back Europe's post-war peace mission in Ukraine – Bloomberg
US refuses to back Europe's post-war peace mission in Ukraine (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
The United States is refusing to provide air defense support for the deterrence forces that the United Kingdom and France plan to deploy in Ukraine after the end of active hostilities, Bloomberg reports.
According to the agency, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer insists that US guarantees are crucial to deterring Russia from violating any future ceasefire agreement.
Bloomberg sources say European allies, during talks with their American counterparts, concluded that US President Donald Trump will not provide the guarantees they had requested in support of the Europe-led Coalition of the Willing.
The agency notes that the US reluctance to provide the support expected by European partners highlights divisions among Western allies over how to deter Russian aggression in Ukraine.
According to sources, the UK and France are hoping the US will at least continue to share intelligence and conduct surveillance along the Ukraine-Russia border.
Some European officials also expect that Trump would intervene if British and French troops were targeted by Russia in Ukraine — though they believe he is unlikely to offer such assurances in writing.
One source said that in light of the US position, European allies have re-evaluated their resources and now consider a combination of Ukrainian troop training, the presence of European forces and aircraft on NATO's eastern flank, and Black Sea patrols to be sufficient for deterrence.
Peacekeeping contingent for Ukraine
Talks are currently ongoing about what deterrence against Russia should look like during a ceasefire and at the end of the war. The United States has been pushing for European countries to deploy troops to Ukraine.
The UK and France have taken the lead in Europe's peacekeeping efforts, forming what's been called a Coalition of the Willing. The group aims to bring together countries willing to send troops to Ukraine and provide other forms of support to ensure lasting peace.
French President Emmanuel Macron has proposed sending so-called deterrence forces to Ukraine after the war ends.
Macron has also not ruled out the deployment of foreign troops to Ukrainian territory once the active phase of fighting is over.
