Fleet forces, air defence and task forces: It could all be part of the new effort for Ukraine that Europe is trying to rally around.

About 30 European defence chiefs gathered in Paris on Tuesday, including Norway’s Eirik Kristoffersen.

There was one thing on the agenda: What can and should be done for Ukraine in both the short and long term (NTB-Bibiana Piene).

At 6.30pm on Tuesday, the meeting was not yet finished. It is not known whether any mention was made of the fact that Russia has repeatedly rejected European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine. It must be assumed that the defence chiefs are paying attention.

There has been a flood of meetings, writes NTB.

– The meeting is about how we are going to support Ukraine in the fight they are in, and how we might support Ukraine if the fighting stops, says Norways defence chief Kristoffersen.

The last few weeks have been peppered with heavy meetings that have all been about how Europe can step up its efforts for Ukraine. The backdrop is the US and Donald Trump’s U-turn on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

France and the UK have sought to spearhead the European effort French President Emmanuel Macron was himself present at the headquarters of the French military academy to greet the defence chiefs.

Today, Macron will also receive the defence chiefs from the UK, Germany, Poland and Italy in Paris.

Agree on measures

The aim of Tuesday’s meeting is to achieve a common understanding of the situation and agree on the measures to be taken in different scenarios.

– It all depends on what agreement is reached, says Kristoffersen.

The plans being discussed are primarily about monitoring the front line using drones and other technology. Forces of up to 30,000 men could be deployed further into Ukraine, for example to strengthen security around nuclear power plants. However, it’s impossible for such a small force to protect the enormous border between Ukraine and Russia, and Zelenskyj has said that a force of between 100-200,000 soldiers is needed.

In addition, the Black Sea will be patrolled by Western vessels from bases in neighbouring countries such as Poland and Romania. Whether Poland will accept this is uncertain. They have clearly refused to provide soldiers in Ukraine. Moreover, Poland has no coastline on the Black Sea. Romania does, however.

Many of the countries attending the meeting in Paris have indicated that they are open to becoming part of the so-called «coalition of the willing», including by contributing soldiers on the ground in Ukraine.

So far, only France, the UK and Denmark have publicly announced that they will send troops, but according to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, around 20 countries have given similar signals.

Norway is so far not among them.

Two criteria 

However, our defence chief Kristoffersen can boast of Norway’s recent decision to increase aid to Ukraine this year by NOK 50 billion, to NOK 85 billion (around 8 billion USD).

The defence chief has previously stated that it is a political decision as to whether Norway will contribute soldiers to a Ukraine force.

– Are you going to be any closer to a military council on this matter after this meeting?

– I believe that a force must be based on two things. Firstly: What the situation is on the ground once a peace agreement or ceasefire agreement is reached. Is it an agreement that is very unstable? That will have a bearing on what such a force should look like.

– Secondly, Ukraine must be allowed to express its needs, where it needs support, and what that support should look like in order to ensure compliance with the agreement.

New arms package

France announced at the weekend that it is preparing a new arms package for Ukraine worth close to 200 million euros. The US has also signalled that it will resume its support for Ukraine, which was suspended on 3 March.

– Europe can in no way replace the US. So we can only hope that the decision not to support Ukraine will be reversed, says Kristoffersen.

The US has also reportedly resumed sharing intelligence information with Ukraine.

– You have said that you trust the US 100 per cent, how do you justify that?

– It’s first and foremost because of all the conversations I’ve had with my American colleagues. I feel that on the military side, we have done what the US expects of us. And it has been clear from the NATO meeting that the security guarantee from the US is firm,” says Kristoffersen.

Ukrainian ceasefire proposals

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj met with US officials in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. Ukraine has put forward a proposal for an air and sea ceasefire in the Black Sea.

– These two things are easy to implement and monitor, said a Ukrainian official.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made it clear that Ukraine must relinquish land seized by Russia to reach a ceasefire and peace deal, according to The Times.

– Both sides need to come to an understanding that there is no military solution to this situation. The Russians can’t conquer all of Ukraine, and it’s obviously going to be very difficult for Ukraine to force the Russians back to where they were in 2014 within a reasonable period of time, Rubio said.

Zelensky has categorically denied this since February 2022. Now the Ukrainian president hardly has a choice.

European troops on Ukrainian soil are not so easy to implement, and they would be entirely dependent on US support anyway. But the Trump administration rejects American boots on the ground in Ukraine.

The entire meeting between the defence chiefs therefore seems like a waste of time and a mere charade.