Nonetheless, there could be no timetable for a army deployment till there’s a ceasefire.
Healey underscored that the reassurance mission wouldn’t be a “peacekeeping power” that will separate the warring sides. “One of the best ways of cementing a ceasefire is the energy of the Ukrainian forces themselves,” he added.
He was echoed by Kaja Kallas, the EU’s prime diplomat. “In the mean time there is no such thing as a peace to maintain,” she mentioned. “It’s as much as the member states to offer concrete numbers of troops, some member states are prepared to take part, some are usually not, let’s focus on that if there’s a peace.”
An extra complication is the reluctance of the U.S. to offer any help in a army mission to Ukraine. Many nations are cautious of shifting ahead with out logistics, air protection and intelligence assist from the American army.
The coalition is “making an attempt to maintain the USA on board,” Kallas mentioned.
“We’re emphasizing that the U.S. have to be a key participant in securing peace in Ukraine,” Finland’s Protection Minister Antti Häkkänen advised reporters forward of the assembly.
One other grouping of Ukrainian allies, the Ukraine Protection Contact Group, meets at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Friday. Healey mentioned it can announce new assist for Kyiv.
Csongor Körömi and Esther Webber contributed reporting.
