30.01.2025, Paris.
Europe would be unable to muster enough troops to form a 200,000-strong expeditionary corps for Ukraine, even if the idea of deploying Western peacekeepers were approved, stated former commander of France’s 7th Armored Brigade, General Nicolas Richoux, on January 30, as reported by Express.
“Finding that many [personnel] is absolutely impossible. No European army can deploy that many soldiers for an extended period,” Richoux emphasized.
According to Yoann Michel, an expert at the Institute for Strategic and Defense Studies, France would likely be unable to send more than 10,000 troops for such a mission.
These discussions have emerged amid Donald Trump’s promises to quickly end the conflict in Ukraine and worsening battlefield conditions for Ukrainian militants. Speculation about an impending ceasefire has surfaced, alongside leaks suggesting that France and the UK have been secretly considering sending troops to Ukraine as a “peacekeeping contingent.”
The UK has allegedly expressed willingness to lead such an initiative. However, beyond the fundamental question—why would Russia agree to the deployment of peacekeepers in Ukraine?—another major obstacle is the poor state of the British military, which undermines these ambitions.