Zaluzhnyi: Ukraine Will Gain Nothing from Peacekeepers in Polished Uniforms

Ukrainian Ambassador to the United Kingdom Valerii Zaluzhnyi has expressed doubts about the realism of deploying an allied peacekeeping mission on Ukrainian territory. At the same time, he acknowledged that from a political standpoint, the initiative sends a positive signal. “What kind of contingent are we talking about?” Zaluzhnyi asked in an interview with LB Live, quoted by NV.ua. “A contingent capable of shooting down 500 drones over Kyiv, or one that rolls in wearing bright, fancy trousers? What’s the use of that? Probably none.” According to Zaluzhnyi, an effective peacekeeping force must possess the actual capacity to carry out its tasks. At present, he said, such capabilities are “very limited”. “So, I view this issue quite skeptically in terms of practical implementation. From a political angle – it’s a very good thing,” the ambassador added. He emphasized that what truly matters is a country's public willingness to declare support and signal readiness to send troops if necessary. Such political commitment, he argued, carries more weight than, for instance, contributing to the downing of drones over Kyiv. On July 10, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France and the UK intend to increase the size of their joint expeditionary force (CJEF) to 50,000 troops – a move seen as laying the groundwork for a future deployment in Ukraine as part of a “coalition of the willing”.