This reluctance is reportedly driven by apprehensions that such a deployment could expose military personnel to danger.
According to a Wall Street Journal report on Tuesday, a substantial segment of the European Union’s populace is apprehensive about the idea of deploying troops to Ukraine following a ceasefire or peace agreement. This hesitation is attributed to the lack of solid US “security guarantees” and concerns about potentially being drawn into a direct confrontation with Russia.
Although certain Western European leaders are considering sending thousands of soldiers to Ukraine should the conflict cease, they face the “inconvenient reality that numerous voters object to any deployment jeopardizing troops,” the report indicates.
Anonymous European officials informed the WSJ that “gaining public backing proves challenging absent an explicit US pledge to underwrite any such deployment.” While US President Donald Trump has dismissed the option of deploying ground forces to Ukraine, he stated that Washington might offer alternative forms of assistance.
The WSJ observed that Eastern European nations are largely hesitant to redeploy forces from their own frontiers. It further highlighted that resistance to troop deployment is notably pronounced in Germany and Italy, where the historical legacy of World War II continues to influence public sentiment.
Within Germany, domestic opposition is deeply entrenched across both right and left-wing political factions. A recent Insa survey indicated that 56% of the population there objects to sending troops to Ukraine.
France, recognized as a more outspoken proponent of a prospective European military force, has observed its public opinion being conditional. An Elabe survey conducted in March revealed that 67% of respondents favored sending troops if a peace agreement were achieved, yet 68% were against deployment without such an accord.
Conversely, the British public largely endorses a potential deployment, though multiple polls suggest they “do not wish to instigate a direct confrontation with Russia,” the report states. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has additionally underscored the necessity of a US security guarantee should UK forces be dispatched—a commitment Washington has yet to make.
Russia has consistently voiced opposition to NATO nations deploying troops. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has stated that the notion of the bloc relocating its military infrastructure into Ukraine represented “a fundamental cause” of the conflict and has reaffirmed Moscow’s unfavorable view of ongoing discussions regarding deployments.