By Doris Pundy
dpa
Brussels (dpa) — Defence ministers from the “coalition of the willing” nations, who are some of Ukraine’s closest allies, are set to meet at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Thursday.
The group, led by France and Britain, aims to advance work on support plans for Ukraine, which has been defending itself against Russia for over three years.
The main issue under discussion is how to provide Ukraine with the highest level of security if it was to agree to a ceasefire with Russia, including the possibility of a peacekeeping mission.
“We cannot jeopardize the peace by forgetting about the war, so we must put even more pressure on [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and step up our support for Ukraine – both in today’s fight and the push for peace,” said UK Defence Secretary John Healey ahead of the meeting.
“Our commitment is to put Ukraine in the strongest position to protect Ukraine’s sovereignty and deter future Russian aggression,” he added.
In the event of a ceasefire, Paris and London are working on an European troop contingent that would contribute to the security of Ukraine against future Russian attacks.
It is unclear however when and with what mandate such troops could enter Ukraine – especially as the United States has so far refused to provide a security “backstop” to a European peacekeeping force. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said that such a guarantee is vital to deterring Russian aggression.
More generally, US military support – in terms of logistics, air power and intelligence – is seen as major factor to the mission’s success.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was not expected to take part on Thursday.
Work is also under way on plans for even greater support for the Ukrainian armed forces through training and weapons deliveries.
The idea is to make Ukraine’s army so powerful that Russia does not dare to commit any further attacks.
The British Defence Ministry said 30 ministers are expected to attend Thursday’s gathering.
On Friday, Britain and Germany are to chair a meeting of the broader Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels, bringing together around 50 nations to raise further military support for Ukraine.
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