12/15/2025December 15, 2025European leaders propose force to enforce Ukraine peace deal
European leaders have proposed a European-led multinational force, with US support, to help enforce a potential peace agreement in Ukraine.
In a joint statement issued after talks in Berlin, they said the force would form part of robust security guarantees designed to prevent Russia from violating any deal to end the war.
The statement was released as European leaders met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the German capital.
They said any decisions on possible territorial concessions could only be taken by the people of Ukraine and only once strong security guarantees are in place.
According to the statement, the proposed force would be made up of contributions from willing nations.
Its tasks would include helping “in securing Ukraine’s skies, and in supporting safer seas, including through operating inside Ukraine,” according to the statement.
The leaders also agreed Ukraine’s military should continue receiving extensive support and retain a peacetime strength of about 800,000 troops. They said peace would be upheld through a US-led ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism to identify violations and provide early warning of any future attack.
The leaders said the guarantees would be backed by both European countries and the United States.
Participating in talks on Monday evening along with Zelenskyy and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz were British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The statement was signed by the leaders of Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden, as well as the heads of the European Council and the European Commission.