A European initiative, led by UK and France, to create a so-called "coalition of the willing" or a "reassurance force" to safeguard a potential ceasefire agreement in Ukraine has hit a snag after the US rejected their request to provide air defences in case of Russia breaching the truce, according to Bloomberg.
"European allies have come to the realisation during discussions with their American counterparts that President Donald Trump won’t provide the guarantees they have sought to back the Europe-led 'coalition of the willing'," the American media outlet reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The "reassurance" or "deterrence" force, as envisioned by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, is more than a "peacekeeping force". One of its main tasks would be to respond militarily to a potential Russian violation of a truce agreement.
In February, Starmer said any future security guarantee for Ukraine would require a "US backstop", adding, "US security guarantee was the only way to effectively deter Russia".
On March 2, Starmer announced the initiative involving 31 countries, led by UK and France, following 2025 London Summit on Ukraine under the motto "securing our future".
Bloomberg reported that the US' reluctance to provide the support sought by its European partners highlights the discord among Western allies regarding how to address Russian aggression in Ukraine.
"Despite their downgraded expectations of the potential US offer to postwar Ukraine, the UK and France remain hopeful the US will continue to provide intelligence as well as surveillance of the border between Ukraine and Russia," Bloomberg added, citing the sources.
Trump's guarantees
European officials hope Trump would intervene if British and French troops were targeted by Russia in Ukraine. However, they doubt he'd guarantee this in writing.
"Moreover, European governments have adjusted their assessment of what's needed to deter Russia. They now believe a combination of the Ukrainian force, allied training, European troops and aircraft stationed on NATO's eastern flank and patrols in the Black Sea, is enough," said Bloomberg, quoting one of the people.
The operation's success relies on US support. But the Trump administration hasn't pledged assistance.
The US instead suggests Europe should manage its security and Ukraine's. A "reassurance" force thus tests Europe's defence commitment.
The US appreciates allies' efforts, notably France, the UK, and Germany, in forming the coalition of the willing, US Ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, stated on Wednesday.
"We are counting on all our European allies to continue taking the leadership position in contributing military resources and providing the political capital to make security guarantees a reality."
Building a force big enough to act as a credible deterrent is proving a considerable effort for nations that shrank their militaries after the Cold War but are now rearming.
UK officials have talked about possibly 10,000 to 30,000 troops.
Unwilling partners
Certain nations, like Italy, hesitate to commit personnel absent US backing. European resources cannot rival US weaponry, intelligence, and surveillance capabilities.
French President Macron visited Italy on Tuesday to address disagreements with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The leaders issued a joint statement, pledging to collaborate for a more robust Europe.
In the statement, the two leaders said their "unwavering and unhesitating" support for Ukraine was needed more than ever to arrive to a fair and lasting end to the war, and called for "an ambitious change in scale" for European defence capacities.
On the Russian war in Ukraine, Meloni has been sceptical about Macron's "coalition of the willing" and a Franco-British plan put forward earlier this year to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine in the event of a peace agreement.
Deploying troops would be a decision unlikely to garner public support in Italy.
Meloni has publicly rejected the idea of sending troops to Ukraine, instead championing NATO guarantees of security.
"It's a formula that certainly deserves discussion, but the issue is that Article 5 lies at the heart of NATO’s solidarity," Meloni has said.
"And if Trump refuses Ukraine's entry into NATO—something we would support—it's precisely because he doesn't want to trigger Article 5 in favour of Ukraine."
