Designing a Peace Mission for Ukraine: What Would It Take

Today, various scenarios for peacekeeping, monitoring and deterrence missions involving international organizations, including NATO, the UN and the EU, are being considered to end the war. However, any peacekeeping mission in Ukraine is possible only in case of a ceasefire. 

Peacekeeping missions are a key tool of the international community to ensure stability and security in regions that have experienced or are experiencing conflicts.

For Ukraine, which has been confronting the aggression of the Russian Federation since 2014, the issue of peacekeeping missions is of particular relevance. In this context, it is important to consider the existing types of peacekeeping operations, their effectiveness and applicability in the Ukrainian context.

Peacekeeping operations vary in their nature and functions, depending on the context and the stage of the conflict. Some missions are designed to promote peace, involving active engagement to end hostilities—often through the deployment of military force. A notable example is the NATO-led KFOR operation in Kosovo, which ensured security and stability following the war.

Other operations are oriented toward maintaining an already established peace, aiming to prevent the resumption of violence. The UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), for instance, played a key role in stabilizing the country after years of civil war. There are also missions focused on post-conflict reconstruction, where the emphasis shifts to rebuilding institutions, infrastructure, and governance.

Finally, some peacekeeping deployments serve primarily to observe and verify ceasefire agreements, without direct military involvement—such as the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), which monitors compliance with truce arrangements between the two countries.

Why Peacekeeping in Ukraine Is Unprecedented and Politically Complex

In the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war, deploying a peacekeeping mission presents significant obstacles.

Missions intended to impose or establish peace typically require the consent of all parties involved and may authorize the use of force. However, any attempt to initiate such an operation under the UN framework faces a major hurdle: Russia’s veto power as a permanent member of the Security Council.

While an alternative could be considered through NATO mechanisms, this route carries the serious risk of a direct confrontation with a nuclear-armed state. Traditional peacekeeping efforts, aimed at maintaining stability after a ceasefire, also appear unfeasible at present. They depend on a mutually accepted political agreement and cooperation from both sides—conditions that are currently absent.

Among the available options, the most viable in the near term could be a mission focused on monitoring a truce or de-escalation line. Yet past experience, such as the OSCE’s presence in Donbas, has demonstrated the limitations of such efforts when missions lack enforcement powers, political backing, or a clearly defined mandate.

Kyiv's Call for Foreign Troops: What’s on the Table

In April 2025, Ukraine asked its key allies to deploy a peacekeeping mission if a peace agreement with Russia is reached. Discussions took place with the participation of military representatives from Ukraine, France, and the United Kingdom. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the need for the presence of foreign troops on land, in the air and at sea to ensure peace and prevent future aggression by Russia. It is expected that about a dozen countries, including the Baltic and Nordic states, may join such a mission. However, many countries, including the United Kingdom, have expressed concerns about participating without U.S. support, which remains uncertain.

In April 2025, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that the European Union was discussing various formats for a possible peacekeeping mission in Ukraine. The options under consideration include a monitoring mission, a deterrence mission, a peacekeeping mission, a reinforcement mission, and a protection mission.

Callas noted that different countries have different perceptions of these formats and that discussions are ongoing. She also emphasized that peace has not yet been achieved in Ukraine, which makes it difficult to determine a specific mission format.

In addition, the possibility of a Franco-British contingent and expanding the mandate of the EU training mission to train the Ukrainian military is being discussed. These discussions include the location of the training and the potential expansion of the mission's mandate to meet Ukraine's needs.

It is worth recalling the historical experience of peacekeeping missions in Europe, among which the most prominent is the NATO mission in Kosovo (KFOR), which began in 1999 after the end of the conflict between Serbian forces and Albanian separatists. The main goal of the mission was to ensure security and stability in the region, as well as to support the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1244.

KFOR's experience demonstrates the importance of a clear mandate, coordination between mission members, and readiness to respond quickly to changing situations. For Ukraine, this experience can be useful in planning and implementing a potential peacekeeping mission.

What could Be the Role of Peacekeeping Missions in Ensuring Stability in Ukraine after the Conflict?

Peacekeeping missions can play an important role in ensuring stability in Ukraine after the active phase of the conflict is over. However, their implementation depends on many factors, including the political will of the parties, international support, and the availability of an appropriate mandate.

In the short term, deployment of a ceasefire monitoring mission seems most realistic, although its effectiveness may be limited. In the long term, after a political settlement is reached, a peacekeeping mission involving a broad coalition of international partners is possible.

Ukraine should actively work with international partners to achieve a political settlement of the conflict. It is also necessary to develop a detailed plan for the structure, mandate, and composition of a potential peacekeeping mission. Ultimately, it is important to ensure the participation of as many countries as possible for the legitimacy and effectiveness of the mission.

Given the complexity and multifaceted nature of the situation, the deployment of a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine will require coordinated efforts at both the national and international levels. Only through close cooperation and mutual understanding can sustainable peace and security in the region be achieved.

Petro Oleshchuk, political scientist, Ph.D, expert at the United Ukraine Think Tank