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Military officials from more than 30 countries will take part in talks on creating an international security force for Ukraine, a French military official said. Such an international force would aim to dissuade Russia from launching another offensive after any ceasefire in Ukraine takes effect.
The long list of participants in tomorrow's discussions in Paris will also include Asian and Oceanian countries that will join remotely, the French official said.
The international makeup of the meeting offers an indication of how broadly France and Britain - which are working together on plans for the force - are casting their net as they aim to build what the French official described as a coalition of nations "capable and willing" to be part of an effort to defend Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire.
The French military official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the plan for the secretive force and the Paris talks that will consider it. The force envisioned by France and Britain would aim to pacify Ukraine and deter another large-scale Russian offensive after any ceasefire, the official said.
It could include heavy weaponry and stockpiles of weapons that could be rushed in within hours or days to help defend Ukraine in the event of a Russian attack that breaks any ceasefire, the official said.
The Franco-British project will be presented to military officials from more than 30 countries in the first part of the talks, the official said. The second part of the talks will include "more precise and concrete" discussions where participants will be invited to say whether and how their militaries can contribute.
The official stressed, however, that the final decision on whether nations participate in the force will be made at a political level, by government leaders.
The chiefs of staff or their representatives from almost all 32 countries of the NATO military alliance will attend the Paris talks - with the notable exception of the US.
The official said the US was not invited because European countries wanted to demonstrate that they could take responsibility for a large part of the post-ceasefire security framework for Ukraine.
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