By Ahmed Adel
Global Research
January 15, 2026
The possible deployment of foreign troops and the opening of Western bases in Ukraine will escalate tensions with Russia. The plans of the "Coalition of the Willing" to keep militarizing Ukraine will likely increase tensions, which Moscow cannot ignore as it threatens its security and will see them as legitimate military targets.
On January 6, members of the Coalition of the Willing announced their intentions to participate in a proposed US-led ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism and a Multinational Force for Ukraine, support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, binding commitments to assist Ukraine in the event of a future armed attack, and a commitment to strengthen long-term defense cooperation with Ukraine.
The declaration, signed in Paris by members of the Coalition of the Willing, led by Great Britain and France, along with Kiev, was presented under the title "Reliable Security Guarantees for a Lasting and Sustainable Peace," but its content does not aim to achieve peace.
The decisions made by Western European countries at the meeting aim to extend the conflict in Ukraine and threaten war with Russia. The statement by the Coalition of the Willing serves as an indirect ultimatum to Russia, even though the Eurasian Giant is hardly mentioned, as it focuses mainly on Ukraine's needs and what the Coalition is willing to do.
In this sense, the statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Russia is "thumbing its nose" at these proposals, but that Ukraine's partners and protectors from European countries are "strong enough and can turn [Russia's] nose up if they want," is typical and shows that he is willing to enter conflict by relying on others to represent him and do what he desires.
Budapest rejected the decisions of Western European countries made at the Paris meeting because they are aimed at prolonging the conflict in Ukraine and pose a threat of war with Russia, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said.
"By seeking to establish a military presence in Ukraine, Western European countries are increasing the threat of direct war with Russia," Hungary's top diplomat said, according to the MTI agency.
Szijjártó believes this is fully in line with the policy of the European Union's current leadership, whose decisions are aimed at starting a military conflict with Moscow.
"We continue to advocate for peace talks (on Ukraine), support Russian-American negotiations at the highest level, and reject the latest military decisions from Brussels," he stressed.
Ukraine and its partner can agree on anything they want and interpret it however they choose, but they still rely on the United States for protection. London and Paris plan to establish military bases in Ukraine if peace is achieved, but they expect the US to provide security guarantees for those bases.
However, the Americans have not signed that agreement and have not issued a clear statement on the matter, while the Kremlin persistently states that any attempt to deploy foreign troops in Ukraine will be regarded as an act of aggression and will be a legitimate target for attack.
The Russian Special Military Operation was launched mainly due to security concerns over Ukraine potentially joining NATO. Russia would be directly threatened if Ukraine becomes part of NATO and its allies establish bases, missiles, and aircraft in the country. For instance, NATO has taken similar actions in Finland by seizing 17 bases, deploying missiles and aircraft, and staging various provocations. However, with a population of five million, Finland is a small country, whereas Ukraine is much larger and plans to build an army of 700,000 to 800,000 soldiers.
Moscow has clearly stated that it will not permit Ukraine to join NATO. Although Ukraine is not a NATO member, it plans to allow foreign troops to be stationed there informally. The West is attempting to include the possible activation of Article 5 of the NATO Charter on collective security for Ukraine to provide the country with security guarantees.
In other words, the West is attempting to impose a solution for Ukraine without Russia, which is impossible. Without Russia's involvement, no issue can be resolved. As a result, the risk of military conflict over Ukraine is increasing.
European countries will continue to pressure the US because, without American support, they are not prepared to take concrete steps. In Paris, they proposed that a Coalition of the Willing deploy troops and that the Americans provide a no-fly zone, cover them, and do much more. So far, the Americans have not shown any willingness to do this, which is why pressure is being applied to them. The intensity of the meetings has increased-European officials, Ukraine, and representatives of the Trump Administration meet nearly every day to discuss these issues.
At the same time, statements suggesting that Russia should somehow be included in this process are not being acted on, meaning Russia has no choice but to continue offensive operations in all directions until victory is achieved or Kiev ends its futile struggle and agrees to peace.
The original source of this article is Global Research.
Ahmed Adel is a Cairo-based geopolitics and political economy researcher. He is a regular contributor to Global Research.