As European leaders consider military deployment options in Ukraine to prevent a settlement that destabilizes both the country and Europe's broader security architecture, the Franco-British proposal for a limited but strategically positioned European force presents the most feasible and effective solution. However, significant political, logistical and financial constraints persist, particularly without U.S. backing, while Russia could exploit weak enforcement mechanisms to undermine any ceasefire. The first step toward establishing a peace process for Ukraine began in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18 as the United States and Russia held their first high-level meeting since the war began in February 2022 -- notably excluding both Ukraine and European countries. The Trump administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has made it clear that it would fall on Europe to provide Ukraine with ''robust security guarantees'' post-conflict, ruling out any deployment of U.S. forces to the country after the war. The White House has...
