“Ukraine has its vision of the deployment of such forces that will act as security guarantors. All these issues still need to be discussed, agreed upon, and verified at both the political and military levels,” Palisa said.
Ukraine also feels that any Western troops sent to Ukraine would be accompanied by extensive air defenses and other protection measures that will also help keep Ukrainians safe.
“For example, if a French brigade enters a certain area of territory, even if deployed with a minimum density — for example, three soldiers per kilometer — it will still have to provide air cover. This is a standard of military planning,” Palisa said. A brigade has from 3,000 to 5,000 troops.
And that means more air defense systems, electronic warfare capabilities, more coordinated interaction with aviation, protection for any foreign naval forces, reliable logistics and so on.
“This is a complex issue that requires careful planning, taking into account many factors. This is what is currently being worked on,” Palisa said.
A day after the coalition of the willing meeting, NATO hosts the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, an American-created grouping to organize military aid for Ukraine. The U.K. and Germany will be chairing and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will join via teleconference.
Laura Kayali contributed to this report from Paris.
