An increasing number of countries within the so-called «coalition of the willing» are privately conceding that any deployment of peacekeeping forces to Ukraine would only be possible with the approval of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Telegraph reports this, citing informed sources.

According to the newspaper, this reality casts doubt on the initiative put forward by Britain and France to send military contingents to Ukrainian territory once agreements on settling the conflict are reached.

Behind closed doors, more coalition members are acknowledging that their participation in such a mission hinges on consent from the Russian president. Diplomats and defense officials told the publication that the Anglo-French concept for overseeing a potential ceasefire could prove unworkable without the Kremlin’s green light.

One senior diplomat made it clear that a European peacekeeping operation could only move forward if Moscow approved it. Should Russia refuse and regard foreign troops as legitimate targets, he warned, the nature of the forces required would have to change dramatically. In his assessment, Moscow’s position is decisive.

Another diplomatic source argued that Europe, by structuring the initiative this way, is effectively granting Russia the ability to block it. He linked this approach to Europe’s desire to secure a seat at the table in future negotiations on a Ukrainian settlement.

At the same time, a representative of European defense structures described the prospect of deploying a Western peacekeeping contingent to Ukraine as largely hypothetical.