Le Monde: EU deadlocked over Ukraine troop deployment and arms funding

European countries are struggling to agree on providing additional aid to Ukraine due to disagreements over funding and arms production.

According to sources in military and diplomatic circles, Kyiv’s European allies have reached an impasse primarily because they are not participating in peace negotiations between Russia and the United States, Caliber.Az reports, citing Le Monde.

As a result, European nations are left out of the loop regarding the talks, even though the discussions involve a potential overhaul of the European security architecture.

Another stumbling block for Brussels, the paper notes, is the possible deployment of troops to Ukraine after a ceasefire. France advocates for sending ground forces, while the United Kingdom supports the protection of Ukraine’s air and maritime space.

London and several other members of the so-called “coalition of the willing” are wary of deploying ground troops and instead promote the creation of a no-fly zone along the Russia–Ukraine border. Funding for this operation, however, hinges on a review of the U.S. military presence in Europe recently announced by Washington.

The sources say that disagreements over troop deployment are only the visible tip of far deeper disputes concerning Ukraine’s militarisation after the war. The European Commission has proposed a rearmament plan, under which part of the funds and weaponry would be directed to Kyiv. However, European countries have so far failed to reach a consensus on how to finance and implement this plan.

By Khagan Isayev