<\/p>\n
Europe is ready to lead a \u201cmultinational force\u201d in Ukraine<\/a> as part of a US proposal for a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, European leaders have said.<\/p>\n In a statement, the leaders of the UK, France, Germany and eight other European countries said that troops from a \u201ccoalition of the willing\u201d with US support could \u201cassist in the regeneration of Ukraine\u2019s forces, in securing Ukraine\u2019s skies, and in supporting safer seas, including through operating inside Ukraine\u201d.<\/p>\n The proposal was part of a new package of security guarantees, backed by the White House, that could mark a breakthrough in reaching a peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv, US and European leaders have said. But they added that significant differences remained over the future status of the Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia<\/a>.<\/p>\n Under the proposal, Ukraine would have western support to maintain a standing army of 800,000 troops, the US would lead a \u201cceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism\u201d to provide early warning of any future attack, and the European countries would also sign a \u201clegally binding commitment, subject to national procedures, to take measures to restore peace and security in the case of a future armed attack\u201d. Europe would also back Ukraine\u2019s accession to the European Union<\/a>.<\/p>\n The deal would effectively provide \u201carticle five-like\u201d guarantees to Ukraine, according to two US officials briefed on the negotiations, comparing the security guarantees to those provided to Nato<\/a> allies from foreign attacks.<\/p>\n The US presented the new package at talks in Berlin this week with Ukraine\u2019s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy<\/a>, as well as senior diplomats and security officials from European allies. The US officials said that they believed Russia would accept the security guarantees presented at the talks, which would mark a significant relaxation in the Kremlin\u2019s demands for limitations on the size of Ukraine\u2019s army and opposition to troops from Nato countries operating in Ukraine.<\/p>\n The American delegation, which was led by the US envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump\u2019s son-in-law Jared Kushner, said Zelenskyy and European leaders had responded positively to the White House\u2019s latest proposal for security guarantees resembling those given to Nato allies, and intended to prevent Russia from resuming its invasion if a peace agreement is reached.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the Ukrainians would tell you, as would the Europeans, that this is the most robust set of security protocols they have ever seen,\u201d said one US official briefed on the negotiations. \u201cIt is a very, very strong package. I think hopefully the Russians are going to look at it and say to themselves: \u2018That\u2019s OK, because we have no intention [of restarting the war].\u2019 We\u2019re going to take them at their word.\u201d<\/p>\n US officials declined to give specific details of what that security package would include and who would defend Ukraine if Russia resumed its invasion after a peace deal was reached. They confirmed the US would not put boots on the ground in Ukraine as part of the deal.<\/p>\n Nonetheless, the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz<\/a>, told a news conference on Monday he believed the two sides were the closest to a real peace process since Russia\u2019s large-scale invasion began in 2022.<\/p>\n