Ukrainian, American and European officials continue consultations regarding post-war security guarantees for Kyiv and the future of Ukraine, with European leaders examining the possibility of creating a 40-kilometer security zone between Russian and Ukrainian forces as part of a peace agreement.
As reported by Politico, citing sources, this zone would involve territorial concessions from Kyiv, while according to European diplomats, there is still no agreement on how deep the zone could be.
Politico: 40-kilometer security zone proposed between Ukraine and Russia
Additionally, it is unclear whether Kyiv would agree to this, as it would have to cede territory. It is worth noting that the US is not participating in negotiations for the security zone.
Problems also exist within Europe itself, as they cannot yet agree on the number of forces required to patrol the security zone. Discussions have included numbers ranging from 4,000 to 60,000 soldiers, “but countries have not yet made any commitments“.
Rules of engagement for NATO troops
Currently, among the issues being discussed are the rules of engagement for NATO troops on the front line, scenarios for dealing with possible escalation by Russia, and the need for third-country involvement in patrols if the Kremlin opposes the presence of alliance forces in the neutral zone.
Europeans expect “that most of the troops in the ceasefire zone or neutral zone will be provided by Ukraine itself“.
