Europe lacks resources to field even 25,000 troops for Ukraine peace mission — The Times

It would be difficult for Europe to muster 25,000 troops to send to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force due to underfunded and understaffed militaries, The Times reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

According to the outlet, the U.K.’s chief of the Defense Staff, Admiral Tony Radakin, had called on his counterparts to contribute to a 64,000-troop deployment. But at subsequent meetings, European defense ministers reportedly said there was “no chance” of assembling such a large contingent — and that even a 25,000-troop force would require a major collective effort.

The Times says these concerns were voiced during a “coalition of the willing” meeting on April 10, and again in follow-up talks in Brussels in a smaller group. Ministers reportedly told U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey that with rotation over a two-year period, such a deployment would require a total of 256,000 personnel.

Britain, as The Times reported, is prepared to contribute up to 10,000 troops. France is also willing to send between 5,000 and 10,000. However, sources said Estonia and Finland have raised concerns that deploying their forces abroad could weaken border defenses at home, while Poland, Spain, and Italy have said they will not send troops. Another source added that Finland and Germany are broadly opposed to deploying ground forces, though Germany has not entirely ruled it out.

The possibility of sending foreign troops to Ukraine has been under discussion since 2024. In January 2025, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron began more detailed talks about deploying British and French forces. Russia has repeatedly stated its opposition to the presence of Western troops in Ukraine. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called the idea unacceptable, and following talks with the United States on February 18, he reiterated that Russia would not agree to the deployment of NATO forces in Ukraine as part of any peace deal.