President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that he had discussed with European leaders the possibility of deploying European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine as part of a cease-fire or peace deal, as the country’s allies consider options on how to help Kyiv end the fighting with Russia on favorable terms.
But the Ukrainian leader added that deploying peacekeeping forces would not be enough to ensure the country’s long-term security, and that only joining NATO could provide sufficient security guarantees against future Russian attacks.
His remarks came at a meeting of European leaders at a one-day summit to discuss several issues, including Europe’s relationship with the United States and the need for stability in Syria. But the question of how European countries could step up support for Ukraine in Russia’s war dominated the discussions.
That war has increasingly been taking a precarious turn. Ukrainian forces have been steadily losing ground and Russian troops, aided by fighters from North Korea, are advancing with better equipment and in bigger numbers. With President-elect Donald J. Trump potentially poised to cut back U.S. assistance to Ukraine once he takes office in a month, European leaders have said they urgently need to deliver more air-defense systems and weapons to Ukraine.
On Wednesday night, Mark Rutte, the head of NATO, was host to Mr. Zelensky and several other European leaders, including from Germany, Italy and Denmark, at Mr. Rutte’s residence.
Earlier on Wednesday, in discussions with President Emmanuel Macron of France, Mr. Zelensky raised the issue of European security guarantees for Ukraine after any cease-fire, perhaps through a European peacekeeping force, to prevent another Russian attack. This proposal has gained traction in recent days after Mr. Trump reportedly pushed for it in a meeting in Paris with the Ukrainian leader and Mr. Macron.
Mr. Macron had previously floated the idea of European troops in Ukraine in February, possibly to train Ukrainian soldiers. Mr. Zelensky said earlier this month that Mr. Macron had revived the idea recently, suggesting that Western troops could be present on Ukrainian territory to guarantee a cease-fire while Ukraine is not a NATO member.
Mr. Zelensky has also said that the idea had been discussed with other European leaders. A few countries, including Sweden and Italy, have not ruled out it out.
But overall the proposal has met with resistance in many European capitals, which see it as a premature step while the war is still raging. It is also unclear if European troops could ensure a cease-fire on their own in Ukraine, given Mr. Trump’s reluctance to directly involve the U.S. Army in any peace settlement.
Mr. Zelensky alluded to the proposal after he met with Mr. Macron on Wednesday night. “We continued working on President Macron’s initiative regarding the presence of forces in Ukraine that could contribute to stabilizing the path to peace,” he said in a post on social media.
Earlier on Wednesday, Mr. Rutte suggested that it was too early to discuss a plan for peacekeepers and that the West’s focus should be on stepping up military support for Ukraine. The European Union’s chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas, also said on Thursday that the focus right now should be on how Europe could help strengthen Ukraine. “Any push for negotiations too soon will actually be a bad deal for Ukraine,” she said.
Still, some European leaders are acknowledging the pressure to end the war.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany said on Thursday that the war in Ukraine had been going on for a “very, very long time now.” “We have to get into a situation in which peace becomes possible,” he said. “It must also be very clear that there must be no escalation of the war into a war between Russia and NATO.”
On Thursday, European leaders also discussed how to more urgently deliver air defense systems, ammunition and missiles, as well as more training and support for Ukrainian forces, according to a draft of potential summit conclusions seen by The New York Times.
When asked about Mr. Trump’s push for a quick peace deal in Ukraine, Alexander de Croo, the prime minister of Belgium, said on Thursday that the priority was to push back the Russians. “First Ukraine has to win the war,” he wrote on social media. “Once Ukraine has been able to push back the Russians then the EU will have to play its role to maintain peace and provide tangible security guarantees.”
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