BRUSSELS — Ukraine’s allies who form the so-called coalition of the willing held talks Thursday on how to create a security mission to police any peace agreement with Russia, but have been stymied so far by Moscow’s refusal to stop fighting.
“What we are dealing with is a period where we have less certainty, less time than as military planners you would normally be used to,” said British Defence Secretary John Healey, who led the summit at NATO HQ alongside his French counterpart Sébastien Lecornu. “We simply can’t settle unless we get the circumstances of a negotiated peace.”
U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to end the war, pressing Russia and Ukraine to reach a partial ceasefire, but the two sides have not formally agreed on the conditions and the fighting has continued. Russia is currently launching a major offensive while also attacking civilian and energy infrastructure targets inside Ukraine.
A Western official told reporters this week that intelligence shows Russian President Vladimir Putin still believes he has a route to a military victory and believes his bargaining position is improving due to small gains on the battlefield.
The coalition of about 30 countries — without the U.S. — aims to see what support it can offer Ukraine to deter another Russian attack in the event of a peace deal or a ceasefire.
While French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal was initially mainly about boots on the ground, air and sea support is now also on the table.
Going into Thursday’s talks, the allies listed four key objectives: safe skies, safe seas, peace on land and a strong Ukrainian military. Chiefs of the defense staff of the U.K. and France briefed defense ministers on military options after visiting Kyiv.
Military planning will continue to move forward in the coming weeks, Lecornu told reporters after the meeting.
“Many countries are beginning to position themselves in terms of contributions related to political or military feasibility. Others are asking questions,” he said. “It’s an important stage, and the rest will be done in writing during the week, we’ll be going into detail on a certain number of points, with a report at the end of next week.”
However, there can be no timetable for a military deployment until there is a ceasefire.
Healey underscored that the reassurance mission would not be a “peacekeeping force” that would separate the warring sides. “The best way of cementing a ceasefire is the strength of the Ukrainian forces themselves,” he added.
He was echoed by Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat. “At the moment there is no peace to keep,” she said. “It’s up to the member states to provide concrete numbers of troops, some member states are willing to participate, some are not, let’s discuss that if there’s a peace.”
A further complication is the reluctance of the U.S. to provide any assistance in a military mission to Ukraine. Many countries are wary of moving forward without logistics, air defense and intelligence support from the American military.
The coalition is “trying to keep the United States on board,” Kallas said.
“We are emphasizing that the U.S. must be a key player in securing peace in Ukraine,” Finland’s Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen told reporters ahead of the meeting.
Another grouping of Ukrainian allies, the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, meets at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Friday. Healey said it will announce new support for Kyiv.
Csongor Körömi and Esther Webber contributed reporting.