France and Poland are in discussions about deploying their troops to Ukraine, according to a review of global media.

The West Prepares for a Ceasefire in Ukraine?

The Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita has become the first media outlet in the world to report on Emmanuel Macron's plans to discuss the deployment of French and Polish peacekeepers in Ukraine with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Citing its own sources within the Polish government, Rzeczpospolita journalists claim that a European peacekeeping mission in Ukraine could become feasible if negotiations between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin regarding a ceasefire and truce between Moscow and Kyiv are successful.

On December 7, a trilateral meeting was held in Paris involving French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump, which lasted about thirty minutes. Prior to this meeting, President Macron and President Trump discussed the Russia-Ukraine war in a private setting.

Macron was likely attempting to persuade Trump that Europe cannot be excluded from negotiations between the U.S. and Russia concerning peace in Ukraine, commented Camille Grand, former assistant to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg from 2016 to 2022, to Rzeczpospolita.

"As far as I understand, Emmanuel Macron conveyed to Donald Trump that Europe not only cannot remain on the sidelines of negotiations between the U.S. and Russia, given its security interests here, but is also ready to join the process financially and, above all, take on the risk of protecting Ukrainian sovereignty," — said Camille Grand.

According to Rzeczpospolita, Emmanuel Macron suggested to Donald Trump the organization of a peacekeeping mission that would ensure Russia does not violate the ceasefire if a truce in Ukraine can be achieved.

Rzeczpospolita mentions the possibility of sending around 40,000 peacekeepers to Ukraine. Poland could become a key component of the European peacekeeping mission due to its strong military capabilities and geographical proximity. France and the UK are also expected to participate in the peacekeeping mission. Other countries that may send their peacekeepers to Ukraine, according to Rzeczpospolita, include the Netherlands and eight Scandinavian and Baltic nations.

Germany may also join the peacekeeping mission. However, discussions regarding its participation can only take place after a change of power in the country, which will begin after the early parliamentary elections in Germany scheduled for February 2025, notes Rzeczpospolita.

The main obstacle to realizing the idea of sending peacekeepers remains the position of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who shows no desire to cease fire and is unlikely to agree to the deployment of European troops in Ukraine, the newspaper's journalists conclude.

NATO Troops in Ukraine Instead of Ukraine Joining NATO

The American publication Politico also reports on planned negotiations between the leaders of France and Poland regarding the deployment of a peacekeeping contingent in Ukraine, although no official comments on this matter have yet been made by the leadership of either country.

Poland was surprised by Macron's proposal but expressed interest in discussing it, a senior Polish official told Politico. However, he noted that decisions about peacekeeping missions should be made within the framework of the United Nations or the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, rather than through a bilateral discussion with the French president. The deployment of Polish troops to Ukraine "would only make sense in a NATO format," the government representative added.

The current proposal regarding the peacekeeping contingent differs from Macron's previous idea of sending French military instructors to Ukraine during the war. This time, the French president suggests sending European troops to Ukraine only after a ceasefire is established, Politico reports.

"It is absolutely clear that the end of the war and the achievement of peace is only possible when Ukraine is in NATO and the EU," — stated Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olga Stefanishina in a comment to Politico.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also addressed this issue when asked last week about Germany's potential role in sending European peacekeeping forces to Ukraine.

"Anything that serves peace in the future will be fully supported by the German side," — said Annalena Baerbock.

The deployment of a peacekeeping contingent after a ceasefire is established is likely part of Donald Trump's plan to end the Russian-Ukrainian war. In November 2024, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump's advisers proposed a peace plan that would freeze hostilities along the current front lines, compel Ukraine to abandon NATO membership negotiations for at least 20 years, and ensure the protection of a demilitarized zone between Ukraine and Russia by EU and UK troops.