EU Leaders to Discuss Potential Troop Deployment in Ukraine

EU leaders are set to discuss the possibility of deploying European troops to Ukraine as part of security guarantees following the end of the war. This will take place during an unscheduled European Council meeting in Brussels on 6 March. According to an EU official who spoke to European Pravda on condition of anonymity, this will be the first concrete discussion on the matter.

The talks will focus on planning for the potential deployment of EU forces in Ukraine after the war or a ceasefire is reached. However, no decision can be made until the political context is clearer, and the format of a peace settlement is defined. So far, only a few EU member states have publicly stated their positions on whether they would be willing to send troops as part of security guarantees.

While the deployment of EU forces cannot be finalized yet, the European official emphasized that providing security guarantees to Ukraine starts with supporting its Armed Forces and bolstering the country’s defense capabilities. The latest proposed conclusions for the 6 March summit reflect this, marking support for Ukraine's military as the first level of security guarantees.

Despite this, Hungary continues to threaten to block any reference to military support for Ukraine in the summit’s final statement. The EU also anticipates that a pro-Russian faction within the Union may disrupt key decisions during the meeting, complicating the approval of a final agreement.