According to the discussions being led by Britain and France over a “coalition of the willing,” a phased withdrawal of a European-led force from Ukraine is being considered after the initial mission to prevent Russia from breaching a possible peace settlement is completed
French military analysts believe it is unlikely that Putin would sanction another attack with Western forces in Ukraine given the current state of the Russian army , which is struggling to seize even small amounts of territory.
The deployment of a "reassurance force" would also offer to help protect Ukraine’s skies and seas.
But the main goal of the deployment is to immediately begin helping train and rebuild Ukraine's armed forces before Russia is ready for another full-scale war, which British, Danish, and German intelligence agencies predict within five years. The force would then be withdrawn in stages, with the last troops leaving around the five-year mark.
Speaking after a meeting of 30 European defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, British Defense Secretary John Healey stressed the need to keep the plans secret because it “simply makes Putin wiser.”
“We have discussed, and I confirmed, our four aims or objectives in military planning: secure the skies, secure the seas, support peace on land and support the regeneration and strength of the Ukrainian forces,” he said.
“The Ukrainians themselves say our best security for the future will be the strength of our own forces and our ability to deter Russia ourselves in the future.”
This follows a report by AFP the same day that some six countries, including Britain, France and the Baltic states, have so far indicated their willingness to send troops to Ukraine as part of a potential peacekeeping mission.