Trump envoy reveals NATO troop deployment plans for Ukraine
Washington is in talks with its European NATO allies about deploying military contingents to Ukraine as part of a possible post-conflict settlement, US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Keith Kellogg, has said.
A group of European NATO member states has for months been seeking to muster a force to be deployed to Ukraine as part of a so-called 'coalition of the willing,' purportedly in a post-conflict peacekeeping role. Russia has repeatedly warned it would treat any foreign troops on Ukrainian soil as legitimate targets, saying such a move could escalate the conflict.
Speaking to Fox Business on Tuesday, Kellogg said troops from France, Germany, the UK, and Poland could be part of what he described as a 'resiliency force.'
'This is a force referred to as the E3, but it's actually now the E4 – when you include the Brits, the French, and the Germans, and in fact, the Poles as well,' he said. Kellogg added the troops would be positioned west of the Dnieper River, placing them 'outside the contact zone.'
'And then to the east you have a peacekeeping force, and what it would look like with a third party involved with that. So, you can actually monitor a ceasefire; we have this thing pretty well planned out,' he said.
The remarks come as preparations are underway for possible direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul. Kellogg and Steve Witkoff, another senior envoy for US President Donald Trump, are reportedly expected to attend. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday proposed conducting negotiations without preconditions in Türkiye on May 15.
Vladimir Zelensky said he was ready to meet Putin on Thursday, but insisted that any talks should be preceded by the start of a 30-day ceasefire. Moscow has repeatedly ruled out this suggestion, saying such a pause would give Kiev an opportunity to regroup militarily and renew hostilities.
On Monday, the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the UK, along with the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas, issued a joint statement after talks in London. They pledged 'robust security guarantees for Ukraine,' including 'exploring the creation of a coalition of air, land, and maritime reassurance forces that could help create confidence in any future peace and support the regeneration of Ukraine's armed forces.'
Russia has rejected the presence of NATO troops in Ukraine in any form. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said it would pose a direct threat to Russia. Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu has warned it could trigger World War III, potentially involving nuclear weapons.
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