The plans of the Anglo-French-led “Coalition of the Willing” to send thousands of troops into Ukraine to “enforce” a peace deal against Russia appear to be going nowhere fast. According to The Times of London yesterday, Britain is likely to abandon its plans to send thousands of troops to protect Ukraine because the risks are deemed “too high.”
By this account, in an apparent softening of plans, Britain and Europe would no longer have a ground force guarding key cities, ports and nuclear power plants on the pretext of “securing” the peace. Instead, the story goes, the focus of their security commitment to Ukraine would now be on reconstituting and rearming the Ukrainian army, under protection provided by European (i.e., NATO) forces from the air and sea. British and French military trainers would be sent to western Ukraine. This, it is said, would fulfill the commitment they have given to put forces inside the country, but no longer near the front lines, nor guarding key installations or protecting Ukrainian troops. European weapons would continue to flow into Ukraine, however, “should Russia break the terms of any deal.”
