Britain and France discuss the possibility of strikes on Russia

European peacekeepers who are to be sent to Ukraine after the war is over may be authorized to strike Russia if it violates the ceasefire.

Associated Press reported on this from Paris, where representatives of over 30 countries gathered to negotiate the creation of an international force to deter Russian aggression after the ceasefire in the Russian-Ukrainian war.

The United Kingdom and France convened the summit to bring together a “coalition of the willing” around a plan that would create a peacekeeping mission to deter Russia and, according to one proposal, launch “direct and immediate strikes against Russian targets” in the event of a violation of the agreement.

Almost all NATO allies except the United States, as well as the Commonwealth, Japan, and South Korea, will participate in the talks. Participants will be asked to describe what their armed forces can and are willing to provide: troops, weapons, or other assistance.

The Franco-British plan

A French official told the newspaper that the plan for Russian deterrence assumes the formation of a peacekeeping force with heavy equipment and weapons stockpiles that would be deployed within hours or days to assist Ukraine in the event of any violation of the ceasefire by Russia.

The peacekeeping troops could be deployed to strategic sites such as nuclear power plants, while frontline monitoring would rely on drones and other technological solutions.

Air forces, including U.S. air forces stationed outside of Ukraine, are expected to be on standby for rapid deployment in the event of Russian air violations and to ensure the safety of commercial flights.

Allied naval forces could also play a role in de-mining the Black Sea and patrolling to ensure the safety of international waters.

Some Western officials have warned that a peace plan would consist of several steps. The first step could be a one-month cessation of hostilities.

Until recently, Europe discussed the possibility of deploying up to 30,000 peacekeepers to Ukraine. According to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, 18 countries have expressed a desire to join the mission.

Recently, Militarnyi also reported that the Sky Shield plan to defend Ukrainian airspace could get a second life after the “ceasefire in the sky” proposed by the President.

The project envisaged the deployment of 120 fighter aircraft from European countries, separately from NATO, to protect the airspace over the capital and western Ukraine and to repel Russian cruise missiles and drones.