Hungarian FM: Peacekeeper discussions in Ukraine should follow ceasefire agreement

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, has emphasized that discussions regarding the deployment of Western peacekeepers in Ukraine should only take place after a ceasefire agreement is reached.

“First we must achieve a ceasefire, then start peace talks and come to a peace agreement... Whether to send peacekeepers or not, it is absolutely impossible to form a serious opinion on this issue now,” Szijjártó told Russian media, Caliber.Az reports.

He further clarified that any provisions included in a potential peace agreement regarding Ukraine “should be implemented accordingly.”

Earlier, it was reported that EU leaders may face pressure to deploy military forces to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping mission once the conflict is resolved. However, Bloomberg did not specify who might exert such pressure, noting that US President-elect Donald Trump had previously promised to help resolve the conflict.

The idea of discussing the potential deployment of Western peacekeepers to Ukraine, originally proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron, has reportedly attracted interest from several other countries.

"Indeed, in addition to France, multiple other countries have expressed their willingness to take such a step," Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi told a briefing on December 20.

He reiterated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’ys support for Macron’s proposal, which the Ukrainian leader voiced during a briefing in Brussels on December 19.

Tykhyi emphasized that while discussions are ongoing, they remain general and lack specifics about when or how the peacekeepers would be deployed.

Earlier, a senior NATO official said that Paris and London are considering sending French and British troops to monitor a potential ceasefire along the contact line. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, clarified that these talks are occurring bilaterally between the national capitals, rather than within NATO structures.

The idea of deploying Western troops to Ukraine resurfaced earlier this year. Macron first brought it up in February and revisited the concept in May, suggesting that France might consider sending troops if Russian forces breach Ukraine’s front lines.

By Vafa Guliyeva