The publication highlighted NATO's key role in supporting a potential European military mission in Ukraine.
According to five sources familiar with the discussions, one proposal voiced in the talks, led by France and the United Kingdom, would see the so-called security assurance forces use NATO command and control structures. The plan will also involve NATO intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.
Officials, whose names the publication did not disclose, stressed that this is just one of the options under discussion and may be altered before any final agreement is reached.
NATO’s involvement is also being considered by advocates of the security force initiative as a way to indirectly involve the United States and secure Washington’s tacit support, FT wrote.
“If we are to deploy forces and assets from dozens of countries [in Ukraine], NATO is the only option [for command and control] we can use,” one official commented.
According to Ben Barry, senior fellow for Land Warfare at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the UK and France possess command and control systems capable of managing a large multinational military deployment in Ukraine.
NATO also operates a fleet of E-3 AWACS early warning and surveillance aircraft and tankers, which European forces will need for a long-term or large-scale mission in Ukraine, FT reported.
NATO’s command and control structures and other assets can be used for missions that are not NATO-led, including those conducted by European coalitions. However, this would require unanimous approval from all alliance members.
Peacekeeping discussions
Debate over sending peacekeeping forces to Ukraine resurfaced in November 2024, following Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election.
On Feb. 11, 2025, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States will not send troops to Ukraine, adding that President Trump hoped for a swift peace deal.
On February 13, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that ensuring peace in Ukraine may require 100,000 peacekeepers. He added that the military had drafted a map showing the real number of foreign troops needed to maintain peace.
On Feb. 14, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was open to any peacekeeping force.
On Feb. 16, The Telegraph reported that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was “ready and willing” to send British troops to Ukraine to support any peace agreement.
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard also said that Sweden does not rule out sending troops to Ukraine as part of a postwar peacekeeping mission.
On Feb. 18, The Guardian reported that the UK believed significantly fewer troops would be needed than the 100,000-150,000 figure, suggesting a smaller force focused on air and maritime defense.
On Feb. 19, The Guardian said that the UK and France were planning to create a European force to deter future Russian attacks on Ukraine. Western officials said the proposal would include fewer than 30,000 troops.
On March 22, Italy’s La Repubblica wrote that Ukraine’s allies were preparing a new plan for a sustainable ceasefire, which could involve two peacekeeping missions instead of one.
The plan involves forming an initial UN-led peacekeeping contingent made up of troops from India, Brazil, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia, who would be stationed on the Russia-Ukraine border.