US may provide intelligence, air defense assets to European peacekeepers in Ukraine

The United States is prepared to back a European-led peacekeeping contingent in postwar Ukraine by contributing intelligence assets, air defense support, and battlefield oversight, the Financial Times (FT) noted on August 26, citing European and Ukrainian officials, Report informs referring to the Kyiv Independent.

Ukrainian, US, and European officials have been leading talks on postwar security guarantees for Kyiv in an effort to prepare for a possible peace deal with Russia.

Some plans floated have included an allied peacekeeping force on the ground backed by US air support.

Senior US officials have said in multiple discussions that Washington is ready to provide "strategic enablers" to a European-led peacekeeping contingent, four officials briefed on the discussions told the FT.

These "strategic enablers" reportedly include intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), command and control, and air defense assets.

Air defense support for Ukraine would involve US aircraft, logistics, and ground-based radar facilitating a no-fly zone enforced by Europe, officials said.

Officials said Washington's proposal relies on European countries committing tens of thousands of troops to postwar Ukraine and said the offer could still be revoked.

In a statement responding to FT's request for comment, the Pentagon said the reported security commitments "are pre-decisional, and the defense department will not comment on pre-decisional topics."

According to the officials who spoke to the FT, a rough outline for a postwar security plan involves a demilitarized zone that would possibly be monitored by neutral peacekeeping troops from a country agreed upon by both Russia and Ukraine.

Beyond that, a stronger border would be defended by Ukrainian forces trained by NATO militaries. European peacekeepers would monitor a border deeper within Ukraine as a third line of defense. US assets would support these forces from the rear.