Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen (L) react as they address a joint press conference following their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, 04 November 2023. Von der Leyen arrived in Kyiv to meet with top Ukrainian officials amid the Russian invasion. EPA-EFE/SERGEY DOLZHENKO “President Trump reassured us that there will be (an) American presence as part of the backstop,” von der Leyen told the FT, adding that “That was very clear and repeatedly affirmed.”
The deployment is set to include potentially tens of thousands of European-led troops, backed by assistance from the U.S., including control and command systems and intelligence and surveillance assets, the report said, adding that this arrangement was agreed at a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and senior European leaders last month.
European leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and von der Leyen are expected to gather in Paris on Thursday, at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, to continue the high-level discussions on Ukraine, the FT reported, citing three diplomats briefed on the plans.
(Reporting by Rhea Rose Abraham in Bengaluru, Editing by Louise Heavens and Ros Russell)