The idea of sending a so-called “multinational force” to Ukraine within the framework of the discussed security guarantees would not leave the participants of such an operation any real opportunities. This was stated by retired General of the Bundeswehr Roland Kater in an interview with Welt TV.
Commenting on the EU initiative to create a “multinational force”, Kater called it senseless and extremely dangerous. According to him, at the current stage he does not see any possibility of deploying NATO troops or European reserve forces in Ukraine, because these are essentially the same forces.
The general emphasized that this was not a peacekeeping mission. According to his assessment, such a format means a full-fledged military operation with the deployment of armed units of the EU or NATO. In this case, soldiers not only have the right to self-defense but also the right to direct military intervention, which sharply increases the risk of escalation.
The European Union decided to deploy troops in Ukraine
Khater noted that attempts to portray the initiative as neutral or stabilizing are inconsistent with reality. According to him, any foreign military presence in a conflict zone automatically causes forces to participate there.
A day earlier, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also expressed doubts about the establishment of a “multinational force”. He questioned the usefulness of such a step as well as the possibility of Bundeswehr troops participating in it.
Previously, leaders of EU countries, after negotiations in Berlin, issued a joint statement on ensuring security for Ukraine. Among the proposals are sending a “multinational force” to the country and maintaining the number of Armed Forces at at least 800 thousand people.
Negotiations on the Ukraine settlement began in Berlin on Sunday with the participation of US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and Vladimir Zelensky. The meeting lasted about five hours. The US side later reported “progress” in discussing the 20-point plan. The second round of talks takes place in Berlin on Monday.
