A ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia may be close.
Then the EU opens up to sending international forces there in the tens of thousands.
– At the moment this is a theoretical scenario but it could become reality, says General Robert Brieger.
General Robert Brieger, head of the EU Military Committee (EUMC), says international forces may be needed to oversee a peace deal in Ukraine, as Trump increases pressure on Europe to end the war. He speaks of a “high five-figure number”.
– This means that they would also need the mandate to maintain the ceasefire with the help of weapons and air support, says Brieger to German World.
General Brieger believes that “a military presence can be an option” but at the same time emphasizes that such a move would require political consensus within the EU.
– We must have a clear mandate and clear political will, he tells Welt.
The EU summit’s comments come at a time when the Western world feels increased uncertainty about US support for Ukraine.
Ultimatum to Putin
Since his inauguration as president, Donald Trump has signaled that Europe must shoulder a greater share of Ukraine’s defense burden, warning NATO members that US support “is not unlimited”.
At the same time, the American president has addressed an ultimatum to Vladimir Putin: end the war or be punished with sanctions and tariffs.
“If we don’t get an agreement soon, I have no choice but to impose high taxes and punitive tariffs and sanctions on all goods that Russia sells to the United States and other participating countries,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
According to Russia expert Malcolm Dixelius, Trump’s threats can have an effect.
– Russia is in a very precarious economic situation. It is possible that sanctions play an important role, but they are slow and have nothing to do with Trump’s ambition to get a quick solution to the conflict. At the same time, Trump’s threats are considered almost laughable in Russia because they are already under sanctions, and the picture in Russia is that they can handle the sanctions, says Malcolm Dixelius.