Ukraine: EU chief diplomat brings peacekeeping force into play

The new EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has proposed securing a possible ceasefire in Ukraine with soldiers from member states. The soldiers for such a peacekeeping force could come from countries that have already expressed themselves open to talks about sending troops in the past, such as France or the Baltic states, said the former Estonian prime minister on the sidelines of talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and ministers in Kiev.

The question of how a possible ceasefire in Ukraine could be secured arises against the background of the impending change of power in the USA. As President, Donald Trump could try to pressure Ukraine and Russia into negotiations. To do this, he could threaten to stop military aid to Ukraine if it refused. However, he could push Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table by announcing that he would expand military aid to Kiev.

Kallas and the rest of the EU’s new foreign policy leaders began their term in office with a symbolic visit to Ukraine. In the capital Kiev, EU Council President António Costa and chief diplomat Kallas assured Zelensky and several ministers of their support.

Specifically, Costa promised Ukraine rapid progress in the EU accession process. They will work together to open at least two areas of accession negotiations in the first half of next year, he said. Costa also assured Ukraine of further EU financial aid and determined work on the 15th package of Russia sanctions. From next year onwards, 1.5 billion euros a month in support will be provided from the proceeds of Russia’s frozen assets in the EU.

The visit by the two EU leaders came at a particularly difficult time for Ukraine. The Ukrainian troops are coming under increasing pressure, especially in eastern Ukraine, and are having to abandon positions almost every day. The lack of soldiers on the Ukrainian side is increasingly seen as the main reason.

The Russian military launched another swarm of drones towards Ukraine in the evening. According to media reports, the groups of so-called kamikaze drones flew in from different directions. There was no clear path as the drones – as in previous attacks – circled in different locations and then took new directions to confuse Ukrainian air defenses. According to media reports, anti-aircraft defenses fired on the drones in several places.

According to a report in the Financial Times, desertion is increasingly becoming a problem for the Ukrainian military. Prosecutors have already opened 60,000 new cases this year alone. If convicted, deserters face up to twelve years in prison.

Young men of military age repeatedly tried to leave the country secretly. Others tried to bribe doctors during the muster in order to be exempt from military service. Most recently, there was also direct desertion from the front, the business paper reported, citing unnamed Ukrainian military officers. The reason for this is the lack of reserves with which front-line units could be regularly replaced for refreshment and recovery.

The FT cited the desertion of Ukrainian soldiers whose units were in Poland for training as the latest phenomenon of desertion. On average, twelve soldiers disappeared from these units every month.

According to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, in November the Russian armed forces recorded the worst month of losses since the start of the war over two and a half years ago. Accordingly, 45,720 Russian soldiers were killed or wounded, including 2,030 soldiers on one day. According to a daily updated count by the Ukrainian military, Russia’s total losses since the beginning of the war amount to over 742,000 killed and wounded. This information cannot be independently verified.

Just a few weeks ago, Moscow put Kiev’s estimated losses at over 906,000 dead and wounded. This year alone, Kiev has lost more soldiers than in the first two years of the war, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed.

As a rule, the number of victims in such conflicts cannot be independently verified. Neither Moscow nor Kyiv have yet released exact figures for their respective losses. The New York Times recently reported, citing US military and intelligence sources, that 57,000 Ukrainian soldiers had already died. NATO recently estimated Russian losses at over 600,000 dead and wounded.