Europe presses Trump to commit US troops for Ukraine peacekeeping plan, Bloomberg reports

Jan 24, 2025 - 15:00

Bloomberg: Europe presses Trump to commit US troops for Ukraine peacekeeping plan

European leaders are pressing the Trump administration to commit US forces to future peacekeeping operations in Ukraine, viewing American participation as crucial for any credible security guarantees, Bloomberg reports.

The diplomatic push comes as Trump signals willingness to pressure Russia economically while European allies work to shape the new administration’s approach to ending the nearly three-year conflict. However, officials remain wary, with the report noting that “given Trump’s record of changing policy on the fly, much remains uncertain.”

Defense experts say the stakes are high.

“There are only two real guarantees for a country: NATO or nukes,” warns Claudia Major of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.

She estimated that 150,000 troops would be needed for effective peacekeeping.

NATO’s senior official in Ukraine, Patrick Turner, adds that “NATO membership is a yardstick for what an effective guarantee would look like.”

While Trump’s team has shown openness to providing security guarantees, they expect Europe to contribute the majority of troops, considering the war primarily a European matter. A senior European official warned that deploying troops without US involvement could fracture NATO and end transatlantic cooperation.

Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, is expected to visit Kyiv soon, aiming to find a solution within the administration’s first 100 days.

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