President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that deploying European peacekeepers in Ukraine is a possibility but should not preclude the country's future membership in NATO.
During an interview aired on the national telethon on January 2, Zelensky expressed support for French President Emmanuel Macron's initiative to deploy a French contingent in Ukraine.
"However, a single country's involvement, like France, is not enough. We wouldn't want this to involve just one or two nations if this initiative is pursued. This must clearly be a step toward NATO membership. The deployment of European forces does not exclude our future in NATO," he stressed.
Zelensky suggested that, besides France, other nations such as the United Kingdom and some unnamed countries might support the idea, although they are hesitant to publicly announce their participation due to concerns over Russian influence.
The president also mentioned that the idea of "European peacekeepers" was discussed during his meetings with Macron and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
"I noticed Trump's positive stance on this initiative. However, I raised the issue that we still don't know which specific countries would be involved and whether the U.S. would be among them," Zelensky added.
Earlier, Zelensky acknowledged that the concept of a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine was discussed during meetings in Brussels as a safeguard against further Russian aggression and noted "positive signals" from certain leaders.
