European defense ministers met again on Thursday, April 10th, to discuss the potential deployment of troops to support and secure any future Ukraine ceasefire, but the gathering raised more questions than it answered amid stalled U.S. peace efforts with Russia.
The UK and France are leading discussions within a ‘coalition of the willing’ composed of 30 countries, exploring how to reinforce any peace agreement that U.S. President Donald Trump might broker.
“Our planning is real and substantial. Our plans are well developed,” UK Defense Minister John Healey said during the meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
“Our reassurance force for Ukraine would be a committed and credible security arrangement to ensure that any negotiated peace does bring what President Trump has pledged, a lasting peace for Ukraine.”
Healey clarified that the initiative would not resemble a traditional peacekeeping force deployed along the front lines. Instead, it would focus on strengthening Ukraine’s military.
French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu echoed the sentiment, stressing continued military support for Kyiv. “The first guarantee of security is obviously support for the Ukrainian army, which means refusing to demilitarize Ukraine, as Russia is demanding,” he said.
While London and Paris maintain that progress has been made during repeated rounds of negotiations, and military planners are beginning to map out operations across air, land, and sea, concerns remain widespread among other European nations.
Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans voiced the need for greater clarity. “What is the potential mission, what is going to be the goal?” he asked.
“What is the mandate? What would we do in the different scenarios, for example, if there would be any escalation regarding Russia?” he added.
Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson also emphasized the need for clarity before any commitments are made. “It’s helpful if there’s a clarity of what that mission would entail, and what do we do—if we are peacekeeping, deterrence or reassurance,” he said.
