Russia-Ukraine war: Is Europe's ‘Coalition of the Willing' force up to the job?
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Infantry battalions, tank, artillery, missiles, fighters and warships will all be needed to deter future Russian attacks, experts tell The National
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Middle East Eye
4 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Turkey is still ready to deploy peace force in Ukraine
Turkey remains open to providing security guarantees to Ukraine in the event of a comprehensive peace agreement with Russia, including the deployment of a peacekeeping force, sources familiar with Ankara's position told Middle East Eye. On Monday, US President Donald Trump hosted his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders at the White House, declaring that a deal was 'within reach' following his separate talks with Russia's Vladimir Putin in Alaska over the weekend. Trump said Washington would support Ukraine's security, but ruled out committing US combat troops. 'When it comes to security, there's going to be a lot of help,' he told reporters, adding that European countries would take the lead. 'They are the first line of defence because they are there, but we'll help them out.' Trump indicated that Putin and Zelensky would first meet for direct talks, to be followed by a trilateral meeting in which he would also participate. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The Kremlin, however, has so far downplayed the proposal. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said this week that any meeting would have to be prepared 'gradually… starting with the expert level and thereafter going through all the required steps', reiterating a standard Kremlin line. A Turkish source familiar with Ankara's thinking said Turkey supports Trump's initiative, noting that Turkish officials have for years sought to broker direct talks between Putin and Zelensky. The source added that Ankara remains open to deploying peacekeeping troops in Ukraine as part of a final settlement, if it is directly involved in planning such a force, though Moscow's approval would be essential. Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz echoed that sentiment last week, saying Ankara was ready to support any peace mission in Ukraine during a 'Coalition of the Willing' summit he joined via videoconference. 'As Turkey, we will continue to fully support diplomatic efforts for a just and lasting peace,' Yilmaz said during another coalition meeting on Monday. Meanwhile, Finland's Iltalehti newspaper reported that European countries are preparing to send 50,000 ground troops to Ukraine. 'The operational plan is ready. The intention is to deploy an entire army corps in Ukraine, led by a western general,' the paper said. Potential naval mission A separate source told MEE that while no party has formally discussed how security guarantees for Ukraine would be implemented, Ankara shifted its position earlier this year after Moscow insisted it would not allow Nato troops on Ukrainian soil under any agreement. Instead, Turkey has focused on leading a potential naval mission in the Black Sea, acting as a deterrent, demining waters and helping Ukraine rebuild its navy. Another Ankara insider suggested Russia might accept the deployment of Turkish forces in Ukraine under a non‑Nato framework. Turkey and Russia already have experience working together: they jointly monitored the Armenia–Azerbaijan ceasefire in 2020 through a mission in Azerbaijan's Agdam until 2024, and conducted joint patrols in Syria for several years as confidence‑building measures. Turkey open to act as security guarantor in Ukraine peace agreement Read More » Turkey did not attend the White House summit, which was largely viewed as a show of European support for Ukraine against Russia. On Wednesday, Turkiye Today reported that Ankara urged caution against 'premature' European plans to deploy peacekeeping forces in Ukraine as part of US‑led negotiations, citing official sources. 'Turkish officials state that if a plan to involve European forces in a peacekeeping mission for Ukraine comes onto the agenda, such a mission should include countries that have remained neutral during the course of the Ukraine–Russia war,' the outlet reported. Yahya Bostan, a columnist for Turkish conservative newspaper Yeni Safak, noted that Ankara's position differs from that of many European allies. 'Turkey's Ukraine policy resembles none of theirs,' he said. 'Turkey wants strong relations with Russia, while also contributing to Ukraine's security guarantees, Black Sea security, international drone coalitions and Europe's broader security architecture.' President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has recently sought to persuade both Russian and Ukrainian leaders to hold a summit in Istanbul. Ankara has already hosted three rounds of technical talks between the two sides, which led to the release of hundreds of prisoners of war. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has also been active, holding a series of calls last week with his Russian, Ukrainian, American, British and French counterparts. According to Turkish diplomatic sources, Fidan consistently emphasised that Turkey is ready to play a constructive role in achieving a durable peace.
The National
14 hours ago
- The National
Normality on the streets, anxiety in the air: Tehran's people fear peace is illusory, renewed war inevitable
As the smoke of war clears over Iran, the scent of saffron once again fills the aisles of Tehran's Tajrish bazaar, where life appears to be back to normal almost two months after the conflict with Israel ended. The capital's jammed streets, bustling malls, reopened cafes and renewed festivals paint a picture of recovery. Yet, under the skin, Iranians are grappling with jitters of a conflict that could reignite at any moment. 'Yes, things are very much normal. We travel, we work, and listen to music. But every day I check the news with my heart in my throat,' Fereshteh Naeemi, a 34-year-old shopkeeper in the Tajrish bazaar, told The National. 'One day Israel threatens; the other day Iran says something. I try to stay away from the news, but it's inevitable. Everyone's talking about it. We live with this stress every day.' Iranians are not only faced with the continuous war of words between Israel and Iran, but also the economic pressures and security reshuffles that reflect Tehran's efforts to regroup and prepare for a possible return to fighting. Meanwhile, the country's leadership is doing everything to project normality. State broadcaster IRIB has dropped its wartime analysis shows and resumed routine programming. The supreme leader's latest address was delivered standing – rather than seated as usual – to symbolise resilience and survival. And perhaps most strikingly, the absence of morality police on the streets is seen as an attempt to rally different voices under the banner of national unity. But to many Iranians, these moves feel staged rather than organic. 'It feels like the 1980s' When Iranians woke up on June 13 to massive blasts in the heart of Tehran – scenes they had only seen in Syria, Lebanon and Gaza – they concluded it was finally Iran's turn. Israel, which for years had branded Iran as the 'head of the snake' of the so-called Axis of Resistance, had unleashed its strikes. It was over, many thought. Iran was caught off guard – not just its air defences, but people's psyche and above all, the economy. Prices skyrocketed. Food inflation surged by 50 per cent and some items, including bottled water, vanished off supermarket shelves as families scrambled to flee big cities, especially Tehran. The government moved quickly to stabilise prices and prevent unrest. It worked, and the focus rapidly shifted back to the war itself. Fast-forward to after the war, as Tehran's residents trickled back and were confronted by new prices. Bread and rice had doubled, gold soared and the rial collapsed past 900,000 to the US dollar. Meanwhile, property sales across the capital slumped amid fears that the conflict would resume. 'It feels like the 1980s again,' Hossein Javanzadeh, a 63-year-old taxi driver who remembers the Iran-Iraq war, told The National. 'Back then, too, everyone stopped buying houses. All they wanted was dollars and gold. It's the same now. Nobody knows what's coming next.' Iran's nuclear policy reflects the same duality. Its leaders maintain deliberate ambiguity – projecting their programme's resilience while simultaneously signalling an openness to dialogue. Military reshuffle Deep underground, uncertainty is even greater. Key atomic sites, including Natanz with its 60 per cent enrichment capacity and the heavily fortified Fordow facility, were struck by Israel and the US. While surface damage is visible in satellite imagery, the impact on underground infrastructure remains unclear. Both Iran and the US agree the strikes slowed enrichment, but Iran says it had removed its 400kg of highly enriched uranium beforehand. Since the end of the conflict, no media, even state outlets, have been allowed access to the underground facilities. Observers say this ' strategic ambiguity ' allows Iran to shield itself from war while keeping diplomacy on the table. 'Iran's playing a skilful game of shadowboxing with its nuclear plans,' Iran-based journalist and commentator Amir Jaber says. 'It talks about surviving the strikes but hides its wounds, telling the west: 'Come talk, but don't expect to peek inside yet.' 'It buys Tehran time to rebuild and maybe push its nuclear programme further, but it's risky. If Israel and the US think Iran's too close to dangerous enrichment levels, they might skip talks and decide to strike again.' In the wake of unprecedented losses among Iran's top brass, the fiery anti-Israeli speeches once delivered by commanders have fallen silent, giving way to a new rhetoric that mixes defiance with pragmatism. Tehran has also moved to reshuffle its command structure. The creation of a Supreme National Defence Council, chaired by President Masoud Pezeshkian, shows that Iran's security architecture needed reshaping. The decision to reappoint Ali Larijani as head of the Supreme National Security Council further underscores a push for synergy in command should war reignite. Overall, Iran's military movements are silent, but they carry the unmistakable scent of war, which is detected not only on military bases but also mingles in the saffron-scented streets of Tehran. 'We must be prepared at every moment for confrontation. Right now, we are not even in a ceasefire [agreement]; we are in a cessation of hostilities,' said First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref this week.
Dubai Eye
a day ago
- Dubai Eye
Overnight Russian attack shows Putin does not want peace, Ukraine says
Russia attacked the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk with drones overnight, the city mayor said on Tuesday, calling it a sign that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not want peace. The reported assault came a day after US President Donald Trump met European leaders and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington, saying the US would help guarantee Ukraine's security in any deal to end Russia's war there. After the meeting on Monday, Trump said he telephoned Putin and begun arranging a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, to be followed by a trilateral summit among the three presidents, with the aim of reaching a peace deal. "At the very same time when Putin was assuring Trump over the phone that he seeks peace, and when President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was holding talks at the White House with European leaders about a just peace, Putin's army launched yet another massive attack on Kremenchuk," Vitalii Maletskyi, mayor of the city that lies in the Poltava region, said on the Telegram. "Once again, the world has seen that Putin does not want peace — he wants to destroy Ukraine," he said. The overnight attack on Ukraine was the largest so far in August with Russia launching 270 drones and 10 missiles, according to the Ukrainian air force. Maletskyi said scores of blasts shook the city, targeting energy and transport infrastructure, leaving hundreds of people in the Poltava region without power. The Ukrainian air force said it downed 230 drones and six missiles but recorded strikes at 16 locations. Poltava Governor Volodymyr Kohut said that the attack damaged administrative buildings of a local energy infrastructure operation. "Fortunately, there were no casualties," Kohut said on Telegram. He said that in the Lubny district nearly 1,500 residential and 119 commercial customers were left without power. A Tuesday morning drone attack by Russia on Ukraine's Chernihiv region also damaged infrastructure with power cuts reported in parts of the northern region, according to Governor Viacheslav Chaus. There was no immediate comment from Russia. Both sides have been targeting infrastructure key to the military in their strikes during the war on each other's territory, including energy infrastructure.
