Europe Prepares Military Mission In Ukraine

• 8.01.2026, 8:16

How many soldiers can they realistically send?

European countries are reviewing the parameters of a possible military presence in Ukraine amid peace talks, significantly reducing the number and changing the format of the future mission.

This is reported by The Times.

A limited contingent instead of a large-scale mission

The UK and France are considering sending up to 15,000 troops to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal. These figures are significantly lower than plans previously discussed as part of a "coalition of the willing".

London initially allowed up to 10,000 British military personnel to participate in a combined force of about 64,000, but current army capabilities have made such a scenario unrealistic.

According to military sources, Britain's actual contribution could be less than 7,500 soldiers, which is already considered a serious strain given that the country's regular army has about 71,000 trained military personnel French President Emmanuel Macron said earlier that several thousand French soldiers could be sent to Ukraine as a "pacifying force."

According to the plan under discussion, the British and French militaries would focus on training the Ukrainian army and overseeing the creation of secure facilities to store weapons and military equipment to support the country's defense.

Risk Assessments

UK defense circles believe Russia will not violate the ceasefire agreement brokered by Donald Trump for fear of a possible US response.