MILITARY chiefs and diplomats in Europe are hashing out plans to carve out a buffer zone as part of any peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
The 25-mile stretch of no man’s land will create a new “Iron Curtain” against future Russian aggression – one of the many security options being discussed for post-war Ukraine.
ReutersFire and smoke rise in the city after Russian drone and missile strikes on Kyiv[/caption]
GettyRescuers work at the site of a residential building hit by a Russian missile on August 28[/caption]
East2WestThe moment two Russian missiles massively damaged the British Council offices in Kyiv[/caption]
An iron-clad defence is a top priority for Ukraine – and Europe – to deter any future attacks that Vladimir Putin could be plotting.
It comes as Russian forces yesterday launched their second biggest aerial attack on Kyiv – killing 23 people and badly damaging a European diplomatic compound.
The strikes enraged European officials, who condemned the attack and accused Putin of derailing efforts to reach a peace deal.
Top European diplomats are now planning to block a strip of land on the Ukrainian side to create a demilitarised zone.
It would stretch to 25 miles and is expected to be embraced by Moscow, according to five EU officials who spoke to Politico.
This is because it would require thousands of troops to enforce the buffer zone and defend it – which would “likely stretch the continent’s modest number of peacekeeping troops”.
Up to 60,000 peacekeepers are expected to guard the no-man’s land, should it be accepted as part of a peace deal.
But Nato allies in Europe are already struggling to prepare a response force to the alliance’s eastern flanks, which would require a mammoth 300,000 troops.
And any peacekeeping force in Ukraine would require the troops to do a double job – defend territory while training the Ukrainian military.
Moscow has said they are working to create buffer zones along Russia’s borders with Ukraine, which would put more distance between Moscow and Ukrainian artillery and drones.
However, no details have emerged as to what the no man’s land on the Russian side could look like.
Meanwhile, Western officials disagree on “how deep” the actual zone could be.
It is also not clear if Kyiv would accept it, as it would likely mean more territorial concessions.
The US, it seems, has not been involved in talks over a buffer zone.
President Donald Trump has already rejected plans to deploy American troops on the ground.
Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday demanded a clear definition of security guarantees from EU leaders as part of any peacemaking.
GettyPresident of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky talk to the media prior to a virtual meeting with EU leaders[/caption]
GettyRussian President Vladimir Putin gestures during a meeting with nuclear industry representatives in Russia[/caption]
The Ukrainian President has long called for the West to put up a defence shield to protect his country once the bloodshed stops.
Pressure has been mounting on Putin to sit down with Zelensky since the White House summit – but the latest language from Russia looks suspiciously like well-worn stalling tactics.
Trump hoped he would be able to convince Putin to stop the bloodshed when he met the dictator in Anchorage.
But since then, little tangible progress has been made towards a peace deal.
Mission: Defend Ukraine
The buffer zone is understood to be one of the many security plans being discussed to defend Ukraine – and by extension, Nato territory in Europe.
Allies have been working on military plans to offer Ukraine a Nato-style defence against future Russian aggression.
Through a combined force of European soldiers and US air power, they hope to put an end to a dark chapter in Europe’s history.
Although Trump ruled out putting American boots on the ground, he said US would provide guarantees to Ukraine.
It came as a massive relief to Europe, which has long lobbied for the US backstop to back the valiant Ukrainians.
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s peace envoy, said that security guarantees could amount to “Article 5-like protection”.
GettyUS Troops near a Boeing CH-47 Chinook military transport helicopter and an Apache attack helicopter during military drills[/caption]
Nato troops take part in NATO’s ‘Steadfast Dart 2025’ exercise at Smardan training range, near Galati, Romania
Nato’s Article 5 is a mutual defence clause that states that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all — and allies must come to its defence.
But the political analyst fears none of the security guarantees would materialise because Putin would never agree to such demands.
Putin’s demands throughout the war have remained unchanged.
He is adamant that Ukraine give up all of the eastern Donbas region, renounce ambitions to join Nato, remain neutral and keep Western troops out of the country.
One way that America could support Ukraine is by providing air power for long-range strikes, which Trump suggested as a possibility.
The White House doubled down on Trump’s statements and said air support was an option being looked at.
America has the world’s most powerful air force and already has 35,000 troops stationed in Europe flying over 200 planes from airports in the UK, Italy, Turkey, and Germany.
Putin would have seen their devastating skill when Trump bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities with B-2 stealth bombers in June.
America could even use its fighter jets to enforce a “no-fly” zone over Ukraine and threaten to shoot down any Russian planes that stray too close.
AlamyUS Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth strategic bombers approach a KC-135 tanker to refuel[/caption]
AFPA US F/A-18 Super Hornet attack fighter jet taking off from the US Navy’s Nimitz-class USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier[/caption]
Arsenal of democracy
The Pentagon is now understood to be carrying out planning exercises on the type of support Washington could offer that goes beyond simply providing weapons.
Even without troops, there are a wide variety of ways America could support Ukraine’s defence to counter Putin’s aggression.
It could be as simple as providing more air defence systems to Ukraine or a more involved US role that includes intel sharing and logistical support.
APUkrainian soldiers of 43rd artillery brigade fire by 2s7 self-propelled howitzer towards Russian positions[/caption]
ReutersA serviceman of the 82nd Separate Airborne Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces holds a shell for a D-30 howitzer[/caption]
Washington may also ramp up sending military hardware to Ukraine, most likely through Nato funding.
The US has committed $70bn in military aid so far across a wide range of American military hardware to help the Ukrainians defend their frontlines.
That includes everything from trench warfare, artillery shells, to laser-guided advanced missiles, and rocket launchers.
Now, America is said to have inked a $100bn weapons deal with Ukraine to arm the country to its teeth going forward.
American intelligence is another major thing that the US is likely to continue sharing with Kyiv.
Coalition of the Willing
Trump said that European nations were “willing to put people on the ground” to secure any settlement.
He insisted European powers remained front and centre of policing a future peace.
European leaders have been discussing sending a multinational peacekeeping force to Ukraine.
The Coalition of the Willing – organised by Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron – is set to provide the European arm of Ukraine’s defence.
Some 10 European countries are prepared to send troops to Ukraine once a ceasefire is signed, Bloomberg reports.
But many experts have warned it could turn out to be a political and economic fiasco.
GettyBritish soldiers practice an assault during Allied Reaction Force (ARF) training[/caption]
Colonel Philip Ingram, a former Army intelligence officer and Nato planner, said: “There will not be a multinational peacekeeping force in Ukraine, because the bill for that would be enormous.
“And from a political perspective, it means if you’re peacekeeping, you have to have the ability to enforce the peace.
“And peace enforcement means that you have to be in a position to attack whichever side breaks the agreement.
“And that would almost certainly be the Russians, and you would have to then be prepared politically to attack them. But that isn’t going to happen.”
Will there be peace in Ukraine?
THE prospect of peace in Ukraine remains uncertain as the Russia-Ukraine war continues.
While Trump’s diplomatic efforts and the planned meeting signal continued US engagement, the gap between Russia’s demands and Ukraine’s conditions remains wide.
Putin’s history of stalling and Zelensky’s insistence on a full ceasefire and security guarantees suggest that a lasting peace agreement is unlikely in the immediate term without significant concessions from either side.
The recent Trump-Putin summit in Alaska yielded no breakthroughs.
US President Donald Trump has pushed for a ceasefire but tensions persist with Russian advances in eastern Ukraine and intensified drone and missile strikes on cities like Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has demanded iron-clad security guarantees from the West. while Russia shows little willingness to compromise.
With ongoing military escalation and divergent American and European approaches, a lasting peace deal appears distant.