PARIS (Reuters) -The stationing of peacekeeping troops in Ukraine, as proposed by Britain and France as part of a ceasefire agreement with Russia, is a question for Kyiv to decide and not Moscow, French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview.
Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have been rushing to consolidate military support for Ukraine as U.S.
Preident Donald Trump presses for a peace deal with Russia. Starmer hosted a virtual meeting on Saturday with Macron and other non-U.S. allies of Ukraine.
“Ukraine is sovereign. If it asks for allied forces to be on its territory, it’s not something for Russia to accept or not,” Macron said in a joint interview with several French regional newspapers published late on Saturday.
Russia has repeatedly rejected the idea of soldiers from countries belonging to the NATO alliance being stationed in Ukraine.
Macron said any peacekeeping force would consist of “a few thousand troops per country” to be deployed at key locations, adding a number of European and non-European countries were interested in participating.
But like other aspects of a potential truce, the form of any peacekeeping force remains uncertain.
Finland’s President Alexander Stubb told BBC television that any firm commitments would come once there was a clear plan.
“There are anywhere from zero to 50 different ways they can help, boots on the ground is only one way.
You can talk about intelligence, you can talk about different types of things but it’s too early to commit right now,” he said.
Britain and France both say they could send peacekeepers to Ukraine, while Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his country was also open to requests.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he supported in principle Washington’s proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine but that his forces would fight on until several crucial conditions were worked out.
Russia and Ukraine continued aerial attacks on each other, inflicting injuries and damages, officials said early on Sunday.
(Reporting by Gus Trompiz and Tangi Salaun; additional reporting by Elizabeth Piper in London, Editing by Louise Heavens)
