Zelenskyy says foreign allies 'don’t want to be involved in the war' in Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (photo: Getty Images)
The issue of deploying European troops to Ukraine during active combat requires a cautious approach. Pushing partners too hard on this matter could lead to negative consequences, The Guardian reports.
"Leaders are afraid of their societies. They don’t want to be involved in the war," President Zelenskyy said, commenting on Britain and France’s willingness to send troops to Ukraine after a peace deal.
He added that the decision to deploy troops is their choice. If Ukraine applies too much pressure, there’s a risk that Kyiv could lose “financial and military support from our partners,” Zelensky warned.
When asked by a journalist whether he would like British troops to arrive earlier - for instance, to take up defensive positions on Ukraine’s border with Belarus - the president replied:
“Of course. We’ve been asking for many things including weapons and membership of the EU and NATO,” the president said.
Foreign troops in Ukraine
Kyiv and its partners are considering the deployment of foreign troops to Ukraine as a form of security guarantee - something that would only be possible after the war ends.
Talks about introducing a foreign military contingent began after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Washington, which took place shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin met with US President Donald Trump in August.
Several of Ukraine’s allies have already agreed to send their troops to Ukraine. Back in September, Zelenskyy said it would definitely be in the thousands, referring to the expected number of foreign soldiers — though he declined to give further details.
Several countries have already expressed readiness to station their forces in Ukraine. Among those supporting the idea are the UK, France, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, the Baltic states, the Netherlands, and Australia.
Some nations remain hesitant about sending troops, while others have made it clear they will not do so.
The US, for example, is not prepared to deploy ground forces to Ukraine - a point recently reiterated by former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
