Plan to Deploy Tens of Thousands of Troops into Ukraine? von der Leyen Says Trump Promised to Support European Forces
According to a report by the UK's Financial Times on August 31, EU Commission President von der Leyen said in an interview that several European countries have finalized a "detailed roadmap" for deploying troops in Ukraine. This force, which could reach tens of thousands of personnel, will be led by Europe and receive support from the United States in command and control systems, intelligence, and surveillance. She specifically emphasized that this plan has reached consensus in the White House and has received repeated confirmation of support from U.S. President Trump.
"Security assurance is crucial and of great significance. We have a clear roadmap, and we have reached consensus in the White House. The relevant work is progressing smoothly," von der Leyen said. "Trump assured us that the United States will back this force. This is very clear and has been repeatedly confirmed."
Von der Leyen said that in August, Trump, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, and high-level officials from multiple European countries had reached an agreement on the arrangements.
According to Trump's statement, the United States will help Ukraine with defense but will not send ground troops to Ukraine. He also reiterated that Ukraine will not be allowed to join NATO. A spokesperson for the White House said that Trump proposed a solution where NATO would purchase American weapons.
The report said that a few days ago, a volunteer alliance for Ukraine led by France and the UK held a ministerial meeting, discussing the necessary matters for forming a multinational force and developing "quite detailed plans."
Three diplomats revealed that on September 4, von der Leyen, German Chancellor Scholz, British Prime Minister Starmer, NATO Secretary General Rasmussen, and others will gather in Paris to continue high-level consultations on the deployment of a multinational force.
Von der Leyen stated that although troop deployment is a matter of national sovereignty requiring final approval from each country, she emphasized that "the sense of urgency is extremely strong, the relevant work is being carried out, and it has already taken shape."
Notably, in the context of Trump's past public praise for Putin and his repeated conflicts with Zelenskyy, von der Leyen explicitly praised his commitment to the peace process. She claimed, "Trump is eager for peace, but Putin does not want to sit at the negotiation table," and called Putin a "plunderer," stating that Trump has formed a "negative view" of Putin due to his "inconsistent behavior."
This statement contrasts with the "unclear" stance of European countries toward the U.S. in recent months. Von der Leyen also claimed, "Europeans keep their word," and that contacts over the past few months have proven that "European countries can be trusted."
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1842038318825484/
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