Proposal for peacekeeping troops in Ukraine irritates Scholz: "Is highly inappropriate"
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz calls discussions about sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine "highly inappropriate".
In connection with the crisis meeting in Paris on Monday, he says he is "a little irritated" by such proposals, writes AFP. He believes the timing is wrong because the war is ongoing and emphasizes the importance of continued European support.
- Ukraine can count on us, he says according to Le Figaro.
Sources: Denmark is arming itself with a multi-billion-dollar fund
The Danish government is planning to establish a special defense fund that will enable military purchases for the equivalent of around 75 billion Swedish kronor, sources tell DR.
Half of the money is planned to be used in 2025 and half next year.
The background to the rearmament is, among other things, concerns about weakened NATO cooperation. In a threat assessment presented last week, the Danish agency FE warns that Russia has militarily equipped itself for a potential war against one or more NATO countries.
Analysis: Who should contribute and pay and who should lead?
Europe's top leaders did their best to present a united front. But after three and a half hours of talks in Paris, the response to the biggest security policy shift in decades was disappointing, writes Politico.
Europe's security situation has changed, but Europe has not, notes The Guardian's Jon Henley, who writes that the continent also has "enemies on the inside".
"Populist, far-right, Moscow- and Trump-friendly governments that will block a common security policy when they can".
Among more willing countries, disagreement quickly became apparent. Countries such as Sweden and the UK have announced that they are prepared to send peacekeeping forces if an agreement is reached in Ukraine. Germany's Olaf Scholz has instead called these discussions "highly inappropriate".
Ed Arnold, an expert on European security at the think tank Rusi, is wondering who will lead such a force when the strong leadership of the US disappears. It could be a difficult problem to solve, Arnold predicts.
- Historically, this is something that Europeans have been very, very bad at, he tells Sky News.
A further question concerns the bill, whether Europe would manage to get the soldiers needed. Here, instead, it is Sweden that is now alone in the fray after Germany's Scholz has now reversed course and opened up for EU countries to borrow money for defense investments.
Negotiations
Zelenskyj: US trying to appease Vladimir Putin
The US is sending messages that are “very beneficial” to Vladimir Putin because they want to appease the Russian president, says Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyj according to AFP.
He points out that Trump has said he wants to reach a solution that means an end to the war very quickly.
– But what they are looking for – “just a ceasefire” – is not a victory, says Zelenskyj in the interview conducted this weekend.
Zelenskyj dismisses the idea of Ukraine giving up territory and says that a Ukrainian victory depends on American support.
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