Washington has reportedly asked how willing European allies were to deploy troops into post-war Ukraine
FILE PHOTO. NATO state flags seen at the NATO Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium. © Getty Images / Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu The US has privately reached out to its European allies, quizzing them on their readiness to support Ukraine through further aid and military deployments, Reuters wrote on Sunday. It comes a day after US President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy on Ukraine Keith Kellogg made it clear that European officials would not be present when Washington and Moscow sit down at the negotiating table. The US sent out a document consisting of six questions to gauge which countries would continue to support Kiev, and what they would want from Washington, Reuters wrote, citing a copy seen by the agency. “What additional capabilities, equipment, and maintenance sustainment options is your Government prepared to provide to Ukraine to improve its negotiating hand and increase pressure on Russia?” one question reportedly read.
Read more “If third Country military forces were to be deployed to Ukraine as part of a peace arrangement, what would you consider to be the necessary size of such a European-led force?” Reuters wrote, adding that the questions also wanted to know the particulars of where, how, and for how long such a force could be deployed. Two other points asked which states they would believe would participate, and if their own country would be willing to send soldiers to Ukraine, in the event of a ceasefire, Reuters wrote. Countries were also asked what they expected the US and its allies to prepare in the event of a clash with Russian forces. The document also asked what steps and resources would the queried state require from the US, in order to participate in these security arrangements, the agency said.
Read more EU officials fear that Trump will push the costs of post-war reconstruction and security efforts onto them, the Financial Times said last week. “Trump sees us as money,” the newspaper cited one anonymous official as saying. The US president has demanded that the UK and EU states in the NATO military bloc ramp up their defense spending and Ukraine aid, claiming that the proportion of investments between them and Washington was unfair. Trump also demanded a return on the aid the US has thus far sent to Ukraine, demanding the “equivalent of $500 billion worth of rare earths” to repay “more than $300 billion” he claimed Washington has provided Kiev since the escalation of the conflict in February 2022.
