Zelenskyy: Ukraine Will Consider Deployment of Foreign Peacekeepers if Given a Clear NATO Accession Timeline

Ukraine is open to considering French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal to deploy French peacekeepers to its territory, but only after receiving a clear timeline of its NATO accession, stated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following a meeting with Germany opposition leader Friedrich Merz on December 9.

“We can think and work on Emmanuel’s position,” Zelenskyy said, “Do you remember when he suggested that some part of the troops of a country should be present on some territories of Ukraine to guarantee our security while Ukraine is not in NATO? But we must have a clear understanding of when Ukraine will be in the EU and when Ukraine will be in NATO before that.”

Some Western nations are revisiting the possibility of sending troops or private military contractors as peacekeepers to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock communicated a similar position during a NATO meeting in Brussels on December 4, stating that German military forces could be sent to support peace in Ukraine if a ceasefire were to be reached with Russia.

In May, Macron expressed his willingness to consider the deployment of French troops to Ukraine if “Russia breaches the front line” and Kyiv were to formally request assistance.

Ukraine has maintained that NATO membership is critical to achieving a just and lasting peace and providing protection against any future Russian aggression. While recognizing that NATO cannot grant it full membership amid the ongoing full-scale war, Ukraine has called on allies in the Alliance to issue it an invitation as an indication of support.

Zelenskyy announced his intention to speak with US President Joe Biden regarding Ukraine’s potential invitation to NATO after meeting with Merz in Kyiv.