Overview
- The Atlantic Council op-ed argues that postponing any European deployment until after a ceasefire is likely to fail and would cede leverage to Moscow.
- The author urges the UK–France Coalition of the Willing to place contingents inside Ukraine in support functions such as training, border monitoring, and infrastructure protection.
- The piece warns that current U.S. backing for an assurance force is framed as contingent on Russian permission, effectively granting the Kremlin a veto.
- The analysis contends that shifts under President Trump reduce U.S. willingness to guarantee European security, pushing Europe to reassert its own agency.
- Past Kremlin red lines are cited as repeatedly unenforced, with the author arguing that a firm European presence could alter Russian calculations and shape any settlement.