Only Ukraine will decide whether foreign troops will be on its territory - Sikorski
Ukraine should decide for itself when and whether foreign troops should be deployed on its territory as part of a peacekeeping mission to guarantee security.
This was stated today in Madrid before the meeting of foreign ministers in the Weimar+ format by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the EU presidency of Poland, Radoslaw Sikorski, Censor.NET reports citing Ukrinform.
Answering journalists' questions about the approximate timing of sending European"peacekeepers" to Ukraine, the Polish official noted that this issue should not be jumped ahead of time.
"We still don't even have a ceasefire, let alone a peace that needs to be protected. But the first thing to remember is that Ukraine has to decide when, what kind, and whether foreign troops should be on its land. Ukraine, and no one else," the minister emphasized.
Sikorski noted that so far no result has been achieved from any negotiations, and when they finally lead to peace, it is Ukraine that can ask for security guarantees in the form of a foreign presence.
"It is then that the international community will decide what forms such a foreign presence can take. It is clear that we cannot allow Putin to dictate who can and cannot be in Ukraine. This is the whole point of this defensive war - only Kyiv should decide," added the Polish Foreign Minister.
Peacekeeping forces in Ukraine
Earlier it was reported that French President Emmanuel Macron would discuss with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk the deployment of peacekeeping forces in Ukraine in the event of an agreement to end the current phase of the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk denied that Polish troops would be sent to Ukraine after the ceasefire.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas assessed the possibility of sending a European peacekeeping mission to Ukraine.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crozetto expressed his readiness to support a peacekeeping mission to Ukraine if peace is achieved.
In turn, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called these discussions "premature."
Germany, together with its partners, will consider the possible deployment of peacekeepers in Ukraine as part of "security guarantees" only after the conditions are created, namely a ceasefire with Russia.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has stated that several countries are currently considering participation in a potential contingent of Western allies in Ukraine. However, specific plans for the deployment of foreign troops are still under discussion.
