British and French military chiefs met with representatives of 30 countries, attempting to keep Europe looking relevant on the fringes of the war in Ukraine. The Franco-British hosts, led by British defence secretary John Healey, are seeking to agree their ideal military presence in the event of a post-war settlement.
Conspicuously not using the word ‘peacekeeping,’ to date such meetings seem to be going through the motions. It is unclear how the continual failure to agree on anything, crucially ‘boots on the ground,’ would act as a deterrent to Vladimir Putin.
Look out for more of the same tomorrow, Friday April 11th, when Healey and German defence minister Boris Pistorius will meet the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, a different ‘coalition of the willing’.
No matter how often they convene, nothing significant has so far emerged from these meetings, and today’s gathering will likely be no exception. Even “Reassurance Force” sounds like another dull addition to the flailing Marvel Cinematic Universe.
