France and the United Kingdom are prepared to take on the primary responsibilities for ensuring post-war peace for Ukraine, but they hope for support from the U.S., reports Politeka.net.
According to the Financial Times, Macron welcomed the recent shifts in Trump's stance regarding the war in Ukraine, but he reminded that joint support from the U.S. is crucial for any peacekeeping mission.
The French leader engaged in discussions to convey to Trump the necessity of backing European military forces, but he did not secure any commitments from Washington regarding their deployment after the combat operations conclude, reports Politeka.
Additionally, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who will visit Washington on February 27, is seeking specific security guarantees for Ukraine, which may include the deployment of peacekeeping forces with U.S. support. However, a unified decision on the nature of these forces has yet to be reached by Europe.
France and the UK are ready to assume the main responsibility for security guarantees, but in this case, U.S. support in providing intelligence and logistical assistance is still necessary.
French officials emphasize that there is currently no concrete agreement on how the U.S. can support Ukraine, yet Trump is not categorically opposed to providing guarantees. European diplomats acknowledge that Macron has made some progress in his discussions with Trump, but there are concerns that the French president may overestimate the U.S. president's ability to back this plan.
Source: ft.