Russian leader Putin dismisses European proposal to deploy ground forces in Ukraine, casting doubts on peace prospects

In a recent development, leaders from the 'Coalition of the Willing' have vowed to deploy troops "by land, sea or air" if a ceasefire agreement is reached in Ukraine. This commitment was made during a summit in Paris, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, where 35 countries from the coalition were present.

However, ceasefire hopes have been thrown into doubt due to the lack of significant progress following Putin's meeting with Trump in Alaska last month. The Kremlin has responded negatively to the European commitment to deploy troops, with Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin's spokesperson, stating that Ukraine's security cannot be guaranteed by foreign military contingents, specifically European and American.

Moscow insists that no Western forces should be deployed to Ukraine, and Russia should be one of the countries acting as "guarantors". Kyiv and its allies, however, have rejected this proposal.

Meanwhile, Putin has claimed that the war in Ukraine is close to ending, and there is "light at the end of the tunnel." However, his comments have been met with scepticism by experts, who dismiss them as disingenuous, suggesting that Putin is attempting to present Moscow as interested in peace talks.

In a surprising turn of events, Putin and Xi Jinping participated in a military parade in Beijing together, with Kim Jong Un also in attendance. During this meeting, Putin expressed a desire to resolve all objectives through military means if necessary.

In a potential shift in US policy, Donald Trump recently suggested that the US would "probably" be willing to provide air support to Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian President, has spoken with Trump about receiving "maximum protection for Ukraine's skies." However, the US has clarified it will not send troops on the ground, though it supports the effort.

Sir Keir Starmer, the UK's Labour leader, has argued that the West has a US-backed "unbreakable pledge" to Ukraine and can force Russia to end the war. Despite this, the countries explicitly not included among the security guarantors for Ukraine are not specified in the available search results. The identified group consists of about 26 European and allied countries willing to participate in security guarantees or peacekeeping.

In a significant move, Putin and Trump held a meeting in the Oval Office on Wednesday night, where Mr. Trump warned Putin that "you'll see things happen" if he makes decisions the US President disagrees with. Putin, however, believes that if common sense is present, it is possible to agree on an acceptable way to end the conflict in Ukraine.

The situation remains complex and uncertain, with tensions running high among the involved parties. As the international community watches, the fate of Ukraine hangs in the balance.

Russian leader Putin dismisses European proposal to deploy ground forces in Ukraine, casting doubts on peace prospects