Russia has firmly ruled out consideration of foreign troop deployment in Ukraine, labelling it “unacceptable.” Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, was reacting to a statement from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen about Europe preparing “…some quite precise plans” for a deployment of foreign troops (as part of post-conflict security guarantees that would be enabled by U.S. capabilities).
The proposal has immediately alienated parts of Europe. Germany’s Defence Minister quickly rejected the idea earlier this week as ‘premature’ and warned it could exacerbate tensions with Moscow. France and Italy were also tentative, with Paris insisting any European role in Ukraine must be “defensive and humanitarian.”
For Moscow, foreign troops on Ukrainian soil are a fundamental breach of red lines. Since 2022, Russia has suggested that NATO (or EU) military presence in Ukraine would be an escalation of the war. Zakharova said Russia would “not discuss” any such intervention in any forum, framing it as a posture that threatens Russia directly.
The debate highlights the fact that Europe is getting increasingly challenged to balance its support for Kyiv with the fear of direct confrontation with Moscow. While the EU and its member states have already pledged more than €94 billion for military, financial, and humanitarian assistance since February 2022, the deployment of troops would be a much bigger step in relation to a policy they currently have in place. Analysts believe that von der Leyen’s comments might be indicative of Europe’s intention to safeguard a future post-war Ukraine, but the immediate rifts between the European Commission and the member states suggest that consensus is some way off.
