Italy is ready to send a peacekeeping force to Ukraine

14 December, 2024 Italian UN peacekeepers. Photo credits: Esercito Italiano Italy is ready to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine as part of the resolution of the conflict.

This was announced by Italian Defense Minister Guido Crozetto at a meeting with colleagues from European and North African countries in Madrid. According to him, Italy has been participating in peacekeeping missions around the world for a long time, particularly in Gaza and Lebanon, where there is a possibility of clashes between UN forces and militants. Despite the defense minister's statement, the Italian government has not yet come to a consensus on whether to consider this proposal at all.

Italian C1 tanks during the Strong Europe Tank Challenge European exercises.

Photo credits: 7th Army Training Command

For example, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that talk of peacekeepers was premature, as Ukraine's top priority was a just peace with the restoration of its territories. It should be noted that in addition to Italy, the issue of deploying peacekeepers is being discussed at the state level in other European countries, such as France and Poland. The very first initiator of sending troops to Ukraine was French President Emmanuel Macron in February 2024, who stated that France had been ready to send a contingent of the French army to resolve the conflict at any time.

In addition, during his visit to Warsaw, the French president also discussed this issue with his Polish counterpart, Prime Minister Donald Tusk, but received a negative response.

Italian peacekeepers in Lebanon. Photo credits: Esercito Italiano

"Any decisions on Polish actions will be made in Warsaw and only in Warsaw. And we are not planning any such actions at the moment," Tusk told the media after discussions with Macron.

Nevertheless, the French side, in addition to peacekeepers, announced plans to send its own instructors to Ukraine to directly train the military. Earlier, Militarnyi reported that French MPs had appealed to the French Defense Minister to create a European coalition to send military instructors to Ukraine. The corresponding appeal to the Minister of Defense was signed by five MPs from five different parties on November 29, 2024.

They also called for the creation of a European coalition to send military instructors to Ukraine.

In their opinion, France could play a leading role in this coalition, along with the armies of the United Kingdom, Poland, the Baltic States, and Scandinavia.