‘Lithuania ready to step in’: Army chief suggests sending troops to Ukraine for stability
Nation30 January 2025, 04:44 PM
Vaikšnoras emphasized that his country could discuss troop
deployment if Lithuania were asked to do so.
“We would likely consider it. A discussion would be held,
and I believe we also have a responsibility for stability in Europe,” he said.
Possible NATO troop deployment to Ukraine
According to Le Monde, discussions about sending troops to
Ukraine resumed in November 2024 following the election of Donald Trump as U.S.
president.
On Dec. 3, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, citing a
high-ranking NATO official who requested anonymity, reported that France and
the United Kingdom were exploring security guarantees for Ukraine in the event
of peace talks with Russia. One option under discussion was deploying troops
from both countries to the frontline to monitor a potential ceasefire.
On Dec. 13, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that
French President Emmanuel Macron wanted to bring up the possibility of
deploying a peacekeeping mission inside Ukraine at the EU leaders’ summit on
Dec. 18-19—if a ceasefire in Russia’s war against Ukraine were reached.
According to Reuters, EU nations could send up to 100,000
troops to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping mission if a ceasefire is agreed
upon.
On Dec. 19, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated
that Ukraine supports France’s initiative to station a military contingent on
Ukrainian soil as part of security guarantees and urged international partners
to join these efforts.
The Ukrainian leader also said the country would need at least 200,000 European peacekeepers to prevent a new Russian offensive.