Deployment of foreign troops best suited for pressuring Russia into peace — Zelenskyy

The president made the remarks after a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Ramstein, Germany.

“Last year, France proposed the idea of deploying partner troops in Ukraine — and you know this — to bring peace closer,” said Zelenskyy.

“We all understand that [Russian dictator Vladimir] Putin’s goals have not changed. He wants to completely destroy Ukraine and break all of us, including you. Therefore, our aim is to find as many tools as possible to force Russia into peace.” 

He added that deploying foreign troops to Ukraine is one of the best tools and urged partners to take decisive action to realize this idea. 

“Let's take a more practical approach to make this possible,” Zelenskyy continued.

“We've also heard signals from some of our partners — from the United Kingdom — supporting this. We must be bold and explore using truly strong tools.”

On Jan. 3, Roderich Kiesewetter, a German CDU MP, supported the deployment of peacekeepers in Ukraine, saying there is no alternative.

On Dec. 3, 2024, RFE/RL, citing an unnamed high-ranking NATO official, reported that France and the United Kingdom are discussing possible security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of peace talks with Russia. One option includes deploying troops from both countries along the demarcation line to enforce a potential ceasefire.