Europe faces significant challenges in gathering enough troops for peacekeeping missions in Ukraine, with reports from The Times revealing that the continent’s armies are both understrength and underfunded.
Sources indicate that even assembling a 25,000-strong contingent would require extensive joint efforts from European nations.
The UK’s Chief of Defence Staff, Tony Radakin, initially proposed sending a 64,000-strong force to Ukraine. However, during follow-up discussions, European defense ministers expressed skepticism, stating that “there is no chance” of forming such a large force. They acknowledged that a 25,000-strong contingent would also require extensive collaboration.
The Times reported that during a “coalition of the willing” meeting on April 10, followed by further talks in Brussels, defense ministers conveyed to UK Defence Secretary John Healey that meeting the requirement would demand a total of 256,000 soldiers over a two-year rotation period.
The UK is prepared to send up to 10,000 troops, and France has committed to contributing between 5,000 and 10,000. However, Estonia and Finland have raised concerns about the potential strain on their own border defenses, while Poland, Spain, and Italy have made it clear they will not contribute troops. Finland and Germany have expressed reluctance to deploy ground forces, with Germany not fully ruling out the possibility.
The report also highlights European fears of escalating tensions with Russia. Under current plans, British and French military instructors are expected to be stationed in western Ukraine, far from the frontlines, where they would not be tasked with guarding key facilities or directly protecting Ukrainian forces.
