Risk of frozen conflict: EU promotes buffer zone between Ukraine and Russia

European diplomats are once again discussing the possibility of resolving the war in Ukraine by creating a buffer zone between the conflicting parties. According to Politico , the idea is a 40-kilometer demilitarized zone that could be part of a potential peace deal or ceasefire.

According to the initiators, this zone should be free from military presence on both sides, and the control over the observance of peace would be carried out by an international peacekeeping contingent. However, the specifics remain vague – among the options discussed are the number of peacekeepers from 4 to 60 thousand people. There is no common position on their composition, powers or nationality yet.

Moreover, not all countries are ready to make real commitments. Former US President Donald Trump, who may return to power, has already spoken out against the participation of American troops in such an initiative.

Another critical question is whether Ukraine will go for it. Such a scenario, according to observers, implies certain territorial concessions on the part of Kyiv, which automatically provokes political opposition.

Former senior Pentagon official Jim Townsend, who was responsible for European affairs during the Barack Obama administration, commented on the idea with extreme skepticism:

“It looks like desperation. Russians are not afraid of Europeans. If anyone thinks that a few French or British observers will restrain the Kremlin, then this is a serious mistake,” he said.

So far, this is just one of many post-war scenarios that exist more at the level of backstage discussions. None of the parties has provided official confirmation of their readiness to implement such a plan.

As a reminder, the European Commission is working on creating a special fund that could attract almost 200 billion euros in frozen Russian assets. These funds are planned to be used to support Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction.

As reported, Donald Trump has been constantly criticizing Joe Biden for his political actions related to the war in Ukraine . However, he himself is not ready to change his rhetoric towards Russia to a tougher one.

Also follow “Pryamim” on Facebook , Twitter , Telegram , and Instagram.