WSJ: US Generals Consulted on European Plan to Send 10k Troops to Ukraine

By Staff, Agencies

Top American military officials have been involved in shaping a European initiative to provide “security guarantees” for Ukraine that envisions a large-scale troop deployment, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing a European diplomat.

The plan, spearheaded by Paris and London and drawn up primarily by European army chiefs, proposes two contingents: one dedicated to training and assisting Ukraine’s forces, and another serving as a “reassurance force” for Kiev. The deployment would only take place once Russia and Ukraine sign a peace agreement.

French President Emmanuel Macron said earlier this week that 26 nations had committed to contributing to Ukraine’s “security guarantees” in some capacity.

According to the WSJ, the pledges already amount to more than 10,000 troops, with the proposal shaped in part by US generals, including the head of NATO’s Allied Command Operations.

The extent of Washington’s involvement, however, remains uncertain, and President Donald Trump has not publicly addressed the plan.

Moscow has sharply opposed the prospect of foreign troops in Ukraine. On Friday, President Vladimir Putin warned that any such forces would either “become targets for Russian strikes” or prove irrelevant if a genuine peace agreement were reached.

He reiterated that NATO expansion was among the drivers of the conflict and insisted any settlement must include security guarantees for both Russia and Ukraine.

Separately, NBC News reported that Kiev’s European allies are considering asking non-NATO countries such as Bangladesh or Saudi Arabia to contribute troops for a “buffer zone” between Russia and Ukraine, potentially overseen by the United States.