Netherlands proposes granting European troops in Ukraine the right to use force against Russia

The Advisory Council on International Affairs (AIV) of the Dutch government has recommended that European countries deploy an international force to Ukraine after a ceasefire is reached and grant it broad powers, including the right to use military force against Russia. This is stated in the council's conclusion, according to TASS.

According to the authors of the document, the commander of such a force should have "pre-approved powers for an immediate response, including the use of force if necessary." They also propose developing rules of engagement in the event of a "large-scale ceasefire violation." According to the Dutch authorities, in this situation, the international force should quickly act as a "second echelon" after the Ukrainian army.

Furthermore, it is emphasized that the international group should not be an "observer mission," but rather a fully-fledged combat force capable of "using armed force to defend Ukraine" within the framework of its mandate.

Moscow has repeatedly stated that it opposes the deployment of military contingents from NATO countries or other European states in Ukraine, under any name. In a 2025 interview with NBC News, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized that ensuring Ukraine's security guarantees through "foreign military intervention in any part of Ukrainian territory" would be unacceptable to Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that Russia is prepared to formalize "in any way" the position that it does not intend to attack European countries. The Russian leader noted that politicians who publicly state otherwise are "insane" or "crooks," and such assertions are "complete nonsense" and "outright lies." Speaking at the general debate of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized that Russia has never had and does not intend to attack NATO and the EU.