25,000 Troops for Ukraine? Europe Can't Make It Happen

According to The Times, European countries are struggling to mobilize even 25,000 troops to Ukraine for a potential peacekeeping mission due to inadequate manpower and funding within their armed forces. The report, citing sources, indicates that Europe’s military resources are stretched thin.

UK’s Proposal and European Doubts

Britain's Chief of Defence Staff, Tony Radakin, proposed a contingent of 64,000 troops to be deployed to Ukraine. However, European defence ministers have expressed skepticism about such a large force, with some saying that even a 25,000-strong peacekeeping mission would require significant joint cooperation. At a meeting of the "coalition of the willing" on April 10, and further talks in Brussels, the ministers emphasized that rotating such a force over two years would necessitate a total of 256,000 personnel.

Troop Contributions and Concerns

The UK is prepared to contribute up to 10,000 troops, and France is willing to send between 5,000 and 10,000. However, countries like Estonia and Finland have raised concerns that deploying foreign troops could weaken their own border security. Poland, Spain, and Italy have made it clear they will not contribute forces, while Germany is generally opposed to sending ground troops but has not entirely ruled out the possibility.

Troop Deployment Plans and Russian Opposition

Discussions on the deployment of foreign troops in Ukraine have been ongoing since 2024, with more concrete talks starting in early 2025 between British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron. Under the current plans, British and French military instructors would be stationed in western Ukraine, away from the front lines, focusing on training Ukrainian forces and guarding key sites. Russia has strongly opposed the idea of Western troops in Ukraine, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov repeatedly condemning the deployment as unacceptable.