Judy Asks: Are Europeans Prepared to Send Troops to Ukraine?

Pol Morillas, Director at the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB), answers Judy Dempsey’s question in her blog Strategic Europe: Are Europeans Prepared to Send Troops to Ukraine? “Strategic ambiguity and strategic division are two sides of the same coin. Not ruling out the possibility of boots on the ground serves the purpose of not drawing red lines on what Europeans are ready to do to defend its partner. At the same time, it provides a renewed sense of leadership by Europe—and Macron. But when other key partners such as Germany consider that sending soldiers to Ukraine is not the right decision, strategic ambiguity gives way to a dangerous sign of internal disunity, precisely at a time when Ukraine is suffering and struggling to defend itself. Putin, whose preferred foreign policy toward the EU is fostering divisions among member states, probably cherishes France’s and Germany’s different views on the future steps in Ukraine. European leaders should first agree on their long-term strategy for the defense and support to Ukraine, before giving Putin the gift he enjoys the most.”