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Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna believes that Europe must be prepared to send troops to Ukraine to support a potential peace agreement between Kyiv and Moscow initiated by Donald Trump.
In an interview with the Financial Times, the Estonian minister expressed this view. He stated that the best security guarantee for Ukraine could be NATO membership, but if the United States opposes this, Europe will need to intervene by deploying troops after the end of hostilities to deter future Russian aggression.
“If we are talking about real security guarantees, that means a just peace will be established. Then we are talking about NATO membership. But without the US, this is impossible. And then we are talking about some form of ‘on-the-ground presence,'” Tsahkna said.
He noted that Trump’s potential victory in the US elections has accelerated discussions among Ukraine’s allies on how to support Ukraine, considering its recent battlefield losses, and also put pressure on Moscow to sit at the negotiating table and ensure the sustainability of any ceasefire.
“There is a lot of negotiation and communication happening in Europe, both internally and with Trump’s team and his administration,” the Estonian foreign minister shared.
Tsahkna said it would be “very, very, very difficult” for Europeans to provide security guarantees to Ukraine without US support, especially since NATO could eventually be dragged into any confrontation with Russian forces.
Recently, The Wall Street Journal reported that within Donald Trump’s circle, there is a proposed idea to “freeze the front” along the current line, with a demilitarized zone and a 20-year moratorium on Ukraine’s NATO membership, as part of fulfilling Trump’s promise to “quickly end the war” in Ukraine.
It is also known that Trump has already spoken with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, advising him not to escalate the war in Ukraine and reminding him of the significant US military presence in Europe.
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