Europe Forging ‘Precise Plans’ for Ukraine Troop Deployment, Von der Leyen Reveals

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – In a significant disclosure signaling a major evolution in Western strategic planning, European capitals are developing “pretty precise plans” for the potential military deployment of a multinational force to Ukraine as part of post-conflict security guarantees, a framework that will be fully supported by United States capabilities. The revelation came directly from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who confirmed in an interview with the Financial Times that a “clear road map” exists for the possible deployment, a move designed to provide Kyiv with the concrete security assurances it has long demanded.

The commission president’s remarks, made during a tour of eastern EU states, inject a new level of tangible detail into the ongoing discussions about the long-term security architecture for a post-war Ukraine. “Security guarantees are paramount and absolutely crucial,” von der Leyen told the Financial Times.

“We have a clear road map and we had an agreement in the White House . . . and this work is going forward very well.” This development represents a formalization of Western commitments that moves beyond financial and materiel support to the potential presence of tens of thousands of European-led personnel on Ukrainian soil, fundamentally altering the strategic landscape of Eastern Europe.

According to the report, the arrangement, which was agreed upon in principle at a meeting last month between U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and senior European leaders, envisions a robust European-led force bolstered by critical assistance from the United States, including command and control systems and vital intelligence and surveillance assets.

Von der Leyen specified that capitals were working on plans for “a multinational troop [deployment] and the backstop of the Americans.” Crucially, she sought to quell any uncertainty regarding Washington’s commitment, stating, “President Trump reassured us that there will be [an] American presence as part of the backstop. That was very clear and repeatedly affirmed.”

The high-level planning is set to continue this week, with European leaders expected to gather in Paris on Thursday at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron to firm up national commitments. Three diplomats briefed on the plans told the Financial Times that those expected to attend include German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and von der Leyen herself.

This follows a recent meeting where, according to von der Leyen, defence chiefs from the "coalition of the willing" had “worked out pretty precise plans,” which included discussions on “the necessary items for a functioning build-up of troops.” While acknowledging that the deployment of forces remains one of the “most important sovereign decisions of a nation,” she stressed that the “sense of urgency is very high . . . it’s moving forward. It’s really taking shape.”

This emerging Western consensus on a post-conflict military presence stands in stark and direct opposition to the foundational justifications for the war repeatedly articulated by Moscow.

As per a recent report by Kurdistan24, Russian President Vladimir Putin used the platform of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit to blame the West's “constant attempts” to bring Ukraine into the NATO military alliance for causing the conflict, which has now entered its fourth year.

Putin Blames West’s NATO Expansion for Ukraine War in SCO Address

Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed Western attempts to draw Ukraine into NATO for the conflict, calling it a direct threat to Moscow's security. His remarks come amid a diplomatic stalemate and ongoing… pic.twitter.com/FaSkjneUiM

— Kurdistan 24 English (@K24English) September 1, 2025

According to the Russian News Agency TASS, Putin framed NATO’s eastward expansion as a “direct threat to Russia's security.” He argued that the crisis also stemmed from the 2014 change of government in Kyiv, which the Kremlin labels a Western-provoked “coup d’etat.” Putin’s assertion that the war is a defensive reaction to Western military encroachment creates a seemingly irreconcilable diplomatic impasse with the very security model now being precisely planned in European capitals.

The plans detailed by von der Leyen are, in effect, the answer to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s core demand: that any peace settlement must be underpinned by robust, collective security guarantees akin to NATO’s Article 5. The chasm between these two positions has defined the diplomatic stalemate.

Zelenskyy recently accused Moscow of actively obstructing peace talks, stating, “The Russians are doing everything to block my meeting with Putin.” Meanwhile, Russia’s top diplomat, Sergey Lavrov, has been unequivocal in his opposition, dismissing the idea of European troop deployments as “absolutely unacceptable” and asserting that any security arrangement for Ukraine that excludes Russia would be “a road to nowhere.”

The planning for a future deployment also involves a significant financial commitment from the European Union. Von der Leyen told the Financial Times that any Western military presence would support a significantly strengthened Ukrainian army, which would form the core of the deterrence force. To this end, she said the commission would explore new funding streams to provide “sustainable financing of the Ukrainian armed forces as . . . a security guarantee.”

She explained that after any peace deal, Kyiv would need “quite a sizeable number of soldiers and they need good salaries and of course, modern equipment,” adding, “it’s for sure the EU that will have to chip in.” This would require an “extra payment” beyond existing budgetary support, which would need to remain in place during peacetime.

Furthermore, the EU intends to maintain funding for training Ukrainian soldiers and is encouraging member states to utilize a €150 billion loans-for-arms fund for joint production agreements with Ukrainian defence companies or to purchase weapons for Kyiv.

This strategic and financial planning is unfolding against a backdrop of continued high-stakes diplomacy and unrelenting violence on the ground.

The United States, under President Trump, has attempted to mediate a resolution to the conflict, which he has called “very stupid.” An effort to broker a ceasefire culminated in a three-hour summit with President Putin at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska on August 15, which concluded without a concrete agreement.

Following the summit, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified that Washington was acting as a facilitator in a conflict that is “not our war,” stressing the need for an enforceable and enduring peace deal rather than a fragile truce. However, the deep animosity between the belligerents led President Trump to recently liken the prospect of a direct meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy to mixing “oil and vinegar.”

The human cost of this diplomatic deadlock remains brutally high. As reported by Kurdistan24, a deadly Russian missile and drone assault on Kyiv on August 28 killed at least 15 people and damaged civilian infrastructure, including buildings that housed the European Union Delegation and the British Council.

The attack drew swift condemnation from von der Leyen, who called it “another grim reminder of what is at stake” and confirmed that the EU was preparing its 19th package of sanctions against Russia. The United Kingdom also summoned the Russian ambassador in response to the strikes. This cycle of military escalation and diplomatic recrimination underscores the profound difficulty in finding a path to peace.

In her interview with the Financial Times, von der Leyen also praised President Trump's commitment to the peace effort, noting a shift in his perspective on the Russian leader. “Putin has not changed, he is a predator,” she said, suggesting that Trump “has a negative experience with Putin; more and more Putin does not do what he says.”

This perceived alignment between Washington and Brussels strengthens the foundation for the security guarantees being planned. As European leaders prepare to meet in Paris, their work on "pretty precise plans" for a military presence in Ukraine marks a critical juncture.

It demonstrates a hardening of Western resolve to secure Ukraine's sovereignty for the long term, but it simultaneously challenges the very security paradigm that Moscow has used to justify more than three years of devastating war, making the road to a lasting peace more clearly defined, yet potentially more contested than ever before.