EU countries resume debate on sending troops to Ukraine – Le Monde
Source: Le Monde
Discussions have resumed within the European Union about possible deployment of foreign military contingents and private defense companies to Ukraine. According to Le Monde, the renewed focus on this issue is linked to Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election.
Although the idea is kept under wraps, it is nothing new. French President Emmanuel Macron came up with the concept in February 2024, but soon backtracked after it drew blowback from several European nations, particularly Germany.
Interest in the idea though has never withered. It was discussed during the recent visit of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to France on November 11 as part of the plan of defense cooperation bolstering European security nd support of Ukraine.
According to Le Monde, France and the UK are considering forming a “core group” of allies that could lead such an initiative. In his interview with BBC, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said it is important to avoid setting restrictive “red lines” when supporting Ukraine, signaling openness to various scenarios.
In my previous column, I wrote about social innovations in Ukraine. Those innovations are part of civic resilience and the democratization of security, which Europe is paying close attention to right now. The EU is trying to work out how to spread responsibility for its own security across society as a whole, rather than leaving it to institutions alone. It is looking for concrete ways to bring ordinary people into the work of defense and resistance.
Petro Poroshenko’s lawyers have appealed to the High Anti-Corruption Court demanding that NABU be obligated to register proceedings regarding the fact of exerting influence on the court and to recognize Petro Poroshenko as a victim in the case of the Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Iryna Mudra, due to her pressure on Supreme Court judges who were considering a lawsuit to overturn sanctions.
Internationally recognized brands and financial institutions should direct capital to Ukraine now, not waiting for the hostilities to end. This was emphasized by Rinat Akhmetov, president of FC Shakhtar, during a working visit to UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, where he met with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.
In recent days, Moscow’s official rhetoric has been dominated by hysteria over the decision of…
In 2025, the deadliest year yet for civilians, Ukraine’s three largest charitable foundations raised a record 105.9 billion hryvnias. It is more than the years 2022–2024 combined. According to the UN, humanitarian aid in Ukraine was delivered by more than 450 organisations, reaching five million people over the course of the year. Civic foundations hold licences to purchase lethal weapons, which is a function states have monopolised for centuries. These record sums were underwritten by international government grants, which means foreign states now channel billions directly through Ukrainian civic funds, bypassing inter-state channels. It is hard to imagine a stronger institutional trust in civil society.