Macron, still in his “I am a statesman”, mode has ‘announced’ that the UK and France do not need ‘permission’ from Russia to install troops in Ukraine. [1] He is now talking about ‘a few thousand troops at key locations’ – i.e. a massive climb-down from the original plan already. He may think he doesn’t need Russia’s permission but I think he needs the US’s.
At any event Russia is not going to accept a Euro-Ukraine army. In the extremely unlikely event that Russia signed a ceasefire agreement or final settlement which explicitly allowed even for Marcon’s “few thousand” troops it would remain the case that those forces would be liable to be being targeted by Russia should any ceasefire break down. So it remains a mind-numbingly stupid idea. But; I can’t see Moscow accepting any troops. Starmer says “we will swing in our peace-keeping forces on the back of a ceasefire“. I can just imagine the young pip-squeak who came up with the “swing in” phrase. (Somehow you know it is a boy; so all that talk about de-masculinisation of politics by the liberals is exposed as fake. No surprises).
For this author the question remains. Are Macron and Starmer deluded enough to think their idea of a Euro-Ukraine army is viable? Why would Russia accept it since one of their key demands is the demilitarisation of Ukraine, and its neutrality? I find it hard to see. Are they seriously planning to insert their “few thousand” troops under fire? Or do they think that Putin and Trump will agree a ceasefire and they, that is Starmer and Macron, will just “swing in” a few troops somehow on the back of that regardless of any terms of any agreed ceasefire? This isn’t serious diplomacy. Which makes me wonder that the whole aim of this is to sabotage any ceasefire. On the other hand; that would credit them with some guile and intelligence. All the signs though are that they really are operating in full and total delusional mode and they really think they can somehow “swing in” their forces on the back of a supposed ceasefire deal. (My current guess is that this plan will die with a kind of whimper and they will end up ‘patrolling’ the skies and sea at a safe distance.)
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