Caution is a must in these cases. After all, only a few months ago, when the French president Emmanuel Macron had proposed sending in Ukraine of military instructors, in response had been overwhelmed by a chorus of disapproval from many European countries, Germany in the lead. Now, also due to the imminent entry into office of the new American president Donald Trump the climate has radically changed and talking about “boots on the ground” for Ukraine is no longer taboo.
Macron and Tusk, the Trump-proof plan for Ukraine
The promoters of a peace mission (still to be designed) of at least 40 thousand men in Ukraine are now the French president Macron himself – in search of international visibility that will make people forget his internal problems – and the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk who will take over the rotating presidency of the European Union on 1 January.
Thursday December 12 Macron flew to Warsaw for a few hours before appointing the new French Prime Minister. On the eve of the mission, the Elysée released a note specifying that Macron was traveling to Poland to discuss Ukraine "in a new transatlantic context." The French president in Warsaw recalled that it was necessary to "find a path" to peace in Ukraine, which "takes into account" the interests of Kiev and the Europeans.
“No one,” he said, “can discuss for the Ukrainians in their name the concessions to be made, the points to be emphasized. It is up to the Ukrainians to do so, but there is no security in Europe without Europeans. The Trump administration has expressed a desire to try to change the direction of this conflict and we must therefore work closely with the Americans, obviously with Ukraine, to find a possible path, which takes into account the interests of Ukraine, its sovereignty and the interests of Europeans and their security”.
The Polish Prime Minister confirmed that he had "discussed" with the French President the possibility of sending a force of peacekeeping in Ukraine in the event of a truce or peace. “I would like to cut short the speculations about a potential presence of military personnel from one country or another in Ukraine, once a truce or ceasefire is established. President Macron is aware of this and we have discussed it,” Tusk said, recalling that Warsaw “does not envisage such a step at the moment.”
Macron and Tusk, reactions to the plan for Ukraine
In principle, there would be an Italian availability, as the Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto has implied. "I hope to talk about peace, about peacekeeping as soon as possible in Ukraine, but also in Gaza and Lebanon – Crosetto observed – we are available to play this role, which is a role in which we have always distinguished ourselves as a nation”.
Sealed lips in Brussels instead where a spokeswoman for the Commission took refuge behind a “no comment” explaining that “our position is very clear: we will support Ukraine with all necessary means. Russia must pay for the crimes committed. The High Representative was also clear in her meetings and discussions: all options are on the table, we are ready and available to coordinate all efforts”.
The idea that is gaining ground is to make theTrump-proof Ukraine: at least that’s what diplomatic sources say, explaining how European leaders are trying to prepare for Trump’s return to the White House. “There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin,” Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform Truth Social. Trump in Paris has already warned that Ukraine will “likely” receive less military aid from the US and reiterated that the US would consider leaving NATO if other European members fail to meet their defense spending targets. More specifically, new Vice President JD Vance has already proposed a Korean-style “demilitarized” zone between Russian and Ukrainian positions if and when hostilities end.
In Germany the idea continues to be judged with great caution. The Chancellor Olaf Scholz has already expressed its “no” However, Berlin’s official position has been against any deployment plan. The Christian Democrats, who are likely to lead the government after the February elections, are more open to helping Ukraine, but Merz has already said that German participation in a mission in Ukraine was “irresponsible”.
Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz also shot down the idea of sending Poles to Ukraine, arguing that peacekeeping missions “should be decided under the United Nations or the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, not a bilateral discussion with the French president. Sending Polish troops to Ukraine would only make sense under a NATO format.”
At the beginning of the week the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky But he did refer to such a plan during his meeting with Friedrich Merz, Germany's likely next chancellor. "We can think and work on Macron's position," Zelenski told reporters, "but first we need to be clear about when Ukraine will join the EU and when it will join NATO."
The head of EU foreign policy, Kaja kallas, said during a visit to Kiev that soldiers from EU countries could one day serve in Ukraine. “I think we should not rule anything out,” he said. “There is growing pressure on European countries to take the lead on the issue of Ukraine, as Trump has made it clear that he believes that theEurope was late in helping Kiev and that he intends to end the war within a day of taking office.
