Ursula von der Leyen said EU countries are working on a roadmap for the deployment in Ukraine of a multinational troop backed by the United States after the war, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.
European capitals are developing concrete plans for potential military deployments to Ukraine, the Commission president told the newspaper. These deployments would form part of post-conflict security guarantees backed by the US, she said.
The plans of the member states is a “clear road map” for possible deployments, she added.
Von der Leyen said the political decision to participate in the multinational force would be up to individual countries, recalling that deploying troops is a sovereign decision. She stressed that there is a very high sense of urgency and that things are moving forward and “taking shape”.
Earlier on Sunday, von der Leyen had referred to the Russian president Vladimir Putin as “a predator”. “Putin has and will not change,” she said in a speech in Poland.
“We know from experience that he can only be kept in check through strong deterrence,” she emphasised.
Von der Leyen also emphasised the Commission’s role in defence. The bloc’s executive can play a pivotal role in helping member states to finance increased defence spending, she told the FT.
