Lack of Discussion on Peacekeepers in Ukraine
Czech President Petr Pavel announced that there are no ongoing discussions about deploying peacekeeping forces in Ukraine since a peace agreement has not been established.
Source: Pavel made these statements during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Prague.
Direct quote: "Regarding the potential deployment of peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, we cannot discuss this yet as no peace agreement has been signed. As for the mandate, it is difficult to say anything specific – each individual state will decide whom and in what numbers they will send.
We talked about the guarantees we can achieve. I am convinced that a combination of economic, political, and military guarantees will be sufficient. Without security guarantees for Ukraine, it is not currently being discussed which troops and who will be stationed in Ukraine."
Details: Pavel also commented on Russian leader Vladimir Putin's proposal for a short-term ceasefire, stating that one-day or three-day pauses make no sense and do not create conditions for real peace negotiations. The important aspect is not just the ceasefire itself, but its actual adherence.
At the same time, Pavel emphasized that it was Ukraine that proposed a 30-day ceasefire without additional conditions. He noted that it is Putin who holds the real leverage to end the war.
Background:
- The so-called "coalition of the resolute" met in early March in London to prepare for guaranteeing future post-war settlement.
- Since then, several coalition meetings have taken place in various formats. Notably, on March 15, military leaders gathered on the outskirts of London to discuss plans for introducing international forces into Ukraine.
- According to Bloomberg, France and Britain are negotiating with 37 countries to form a "coalition of the resolute" for Ukraine in the event of a peace settlement.
- On April 4, the chiefs of staff of the French and British armies visited Kyiv to meet with the Ukrainian leadership to discuss the needs and tasks of the Ukrainian army for long-term support.
- At the end of April, media reported that the U.S. had privately expressed a willingness to provide security guarantees for the military contingent of the "coalition of the willing," which may be deployed in Ukraine after a peace agreement with Russia is reached.
