'Close the skies first': diplomat urges action before deploying Coalition of the Willing in Ukraine
global.espreso.tv
Fri, 11 Jul 2025 13:32:00 +0300

Diplomat Oleh Shamshur, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the United States (2005-2010) and to France (2014-2020), stated this on Espreso TV."Macron's initiative, which is already more than a year old, is politically interesting and important because it demonstrates support for Ukraine. But as for practical consequences, I believe this is a phantom initiative with very little chance of being realized.First, it should be understood that this initiative is being discussed in the context of a ceasefire, which at the moment is not even on the horizon. Moreover, after a ceasefire, much more important questions will arise — how will this look in practice? Right now, everyone is discussing the conditions put forward by Putin, which are absolutely unacceptable for us.Second, if we look at how the Coalition of the Willing might function, we must understand that it is quite difficult to find such a number of troops, both from France and the United Kingdom. And the main question is: what will these forces be allowed to do? If they are stationed somewhere in Mukachevo or Lviv, that is, far from the front, will their task really be to deter Russian aggression in any meaningful way?" Shamshur noted.According to the diplomat, for the Coalition of the Willing to actually do something decisive, two things are needed."First, to find funds to purchase American equipment. Second, to act decisively on the issue of closing the sky over Ukraine. We have somehow stopped talking about this. What decisive actions can there be if Ukraine is essentially allowed to remain a punching bag, being destroyed with impunity? One should always hope for the best, but it is necessary to focus and resolve those issues that can really influence the military and political situation," Shamshur emphasized.On July 8, French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in the United Kingdom on a state visit. During his speech in the British Parliament, he promised not to abandon Ukraine, stating that aggressive nuclear states pose a threat to the world.
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