15 December 2025
European leaders propose use of force to enforce Ukraine peace deal
European leaders have proposed a European-led multinational force with US support to help enforce a potential peace deal in Ukraine.
In a joint statement issued after talks in Berlin, they said the force would form part of a strengthened security guarantee designed to prevent Russia from violating any agreement to end the war.
The statement was issued as European leaders met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the German capital.
He said that any decisions on possible territorial concessions can only be taken by the people of Ukraine and only if there are strong security guarantees.
According to the statement, the proposed force will be formed with the contribution of interested countries.
According to the statement, its tasks will include “helping secure Ukraine’s skies, and supporting safe seas, including operations inside Ukraine.”
The leaders also agreed that Ukraine’s military should continue to receive broad support and maintain its peacetime strength of about 800,000 troops. He said peace would be maintained through a US-led ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism to identify violations and provide early warning of any future attacks.
The leaders said the guarantee would have the support of both European countries and the United States.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer attended the talks with Zelensky and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday evening. French President Emmanuel MacronItalian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The statement was signed by the leaders of Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden, as well as the heads of the European Council and the European Commission.