EU Commissioner's Assertions on Deploying Troops to Ukraine Spark Questionable Accuracy

The European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, has emphasized the need for "sustainable financing" and equipment for Ukrainian armed forces, a statement she made during an interview with the Financial Times. This comment, according to Guntram Wolff, a senior fellow at the Bruegel think tank in Brussels, may be a political signal of support for Eastern European countries concerned about a future Russian invasion.

In May, the EU announced a €150 billion ($174 billion) financing instrument for European firms to buy arms for Ukraine or jointly produce weapons with Ukrainian counterparts. However, Ian Lesser, head of the Brussels office of the German Marshall Fund of the United States organization, stated that existing plans are not "pretty precise" and the US can only offer "more of the same" support at this stage.

The debate over troop deployment remains contentious due to the high risk of European forces becoming embroiled in an exchange with Russian forces. As of now, there is no ceasefire, meaning that conditions to deploy defensive European troops are not yet given. The specifics of a EU troop deployment and Washington's potential future role in any such deployment are still being determined.

Ursula von der Leyen has stated that plans for a potential European troop deployment to Ukraine as part of a post-conflict security guarantee are "pretty precise." The "Coalition of the Willing" announced by von der Leyen includes about 26 countries ready to send ground, air, or naval forces to support Ukraine's security. The coalition's meeting is planned to take place before a potential meeting between Ukrainian President Zelensky and Russian President Putin, aiming to work out security guarantees for Ukraine.

However, not all European member states are on board with this initiative. Backlash from European member states, including Germany, followed von der Leyen's comments. Boris Pistorius, Germany's defense minister, responded that such discussions should wait until negotiations with various parties. André Härtel stated that governments would need to clear a series of national hurdles before sending troops, such as parliamentary approval in Germany.

A US backstop would likely provide intelligence support, airlifts, but not physical presence of troops in Ukraine. Most experts believe it is unlikely that any potential air support from the US would guarantee a kinetic defense response if Europeans on the ground in Ukraine were attacked by Russia. The final shape of a potential EU troop deployment is still being worked out, and it depends on what a settlement between Russia and Ukraine might look like.

The risk of European forces becoming embroiled in an exchange with Russian forces is a major concern in the debate over troop deployment. Härtel believes that von der Leyen wants to push US President Trump and European leaders to do more before Thursday's meeting of the 'coalition of the willing,' a group of 31 nations willing to participate in future security guarantees to Ukraine. The potential troop deployment details have been unclear up until now, but the discussions are ongoing, and the situation remains fluid.

EU Commissioner's Assertions on Deploying Troops to Ukraine Spark Questionable Accuracy