Kyiv's European allies are working on “pretty precise plans” and a "clear road map" for a potential deployment of troops to Ukraine should a peace deal be struck between Kyiv and Moscow, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
Von der Leyen, in comments published in The Financial Times on August 31, added that any such venture would have the full backing of the United States, which has swayed back and forth on potential involvement over the past year.
“Security guarantees are paramount and absolutely crucial. We have a clear road map, and we had an agreement in the White House...and this work is going forward very well,” von der Leyen told the FT.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has insisted on strong security guarantees from the Western allies, especially the United States, as part of any cease-fire deal with the Russians, who have so far shown no indication of seeking a peace deal.
Von der Leyen has been visiting EU member states close to Russia over the weekend, focusing on efforts to increase national defense spending and military readiness.
She said European leaders were working on the framework for “a multinational troop [deployment] and the backstop of the Americans.”
“Of course, it always needs the political decision of the respective country, because deploying troops is one of the most important sovereign decisions of a nation.”
“[But] the sense of urgency is very high...it’s moving forward. It’s really taking shape.”
“President [Donald] Trump reassured us that there will be [an] American presence as part of the backstop. That was very clear and repeatedly affirmed,” she added.
European leaders have spoken of potentially sending tens of thousands of troops should a peace deal be struck. US forces would reportedly provide command and control, intelligence, and surveillance asset, but not ground troops.
French President Emmanuel Macron has invited European leaders to Paris on September 4 to conduct high-level talks, the FT reported, citing three diplomatic sources.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, NATO chief Mark Rutte, and von der Leyen are among those expected, the report said.
Merz, in an interview with German broadcaster ZDF, cautioned that the war could still last for a substantial period but that ending it quickly at Ukraine's expense was not an option.
“We are trying to end it as quickly as possible. But certainly not at the price of Ukraine’s capitulation. You could end the war tomorrow if Ukraine surrendered and lost its independence,” Merz said.
Trump has made ending the war in Ukraine -- which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of February 2022 -- a top priority of his administration.
He has grown increasingly frustrated with Russian President Vladimir Putin's refusal to meet with Zelenskyy and Russia's continued campaign of massive air strikes against Ukrainian civilian targets.
“Putin has not changed. He is a predator,” von der Leyen said. “[Trump] wants peace and Putin is not coming to the negotiation table...He has a negative experience with Putin, more and more, Putin does not do what he says.”
As politicians talked, the violence continued in the war, with Russia maintaining its relentless air attacks on Ukraine on August 31, hitting energy facilities in at least two regions and targeting several other locations across the country.
In response, Zelenskyy said Ukraine will continue to defend itself on its own territory and launch long-range strikes at targets in Russia.
"We will continue our active operations in exactly the way needed for Ukraine’s defense. The forces and resources are prepared. New deep strikes have also been planned," Zelenskyy wrote on X on August 31 after receiving a status report from the Ukrainian commander-in-chief, General Oleksandr Syrskiy.
