Kyiv says too soon to talk foreign troop numbers in Ukraine

By Dan Peleschuk

KYIV (Reuters) -Kyiv's talks with its allies on a possible foreign troop contingent in Ukraine that would act as a security guarantee are only in their early stages and have not focused on specific numbers, the foreign ministry said on Thursday.

Ukraine is seeking security guarantees from its allies as part of any potential peace deal to end the war, nearly three years since Russia's invasion. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday those could include at least 200,000 European peacekeepers.

In a later interview with Bloomberg, he clarified that number would depend on the size of Ukraine's military, which he has said Kyiv does not want to cut as a part of any deal. The armed forces currently number around 800,000 personnel.

"Yes, the discussion is ongoing about... the military contingents of foreign powers, foreign nations that can be potentially deployed to Ukraine," foreign ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi told reporters at a briefing in Kyiv.

"This discussion is in its very early stages."

He said it was "too early to talk about exact numbers", and that a foreign troop contingent would only be one part of broader security guarantees.

"We think that durable, reliable security guarantees for Ukraine must include both Europe and the United States. This is how we can ensure that this peace is sustainable and durable," Tykhyi said.

Russia on Thursday rejected the idea of NATO countries sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire in the war with Russia, saying such a move would threaten to cause an "uncontrollable escalation".

Both warring sides sought to improve their positions ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's return this week to the White House. Russia says it is open to a dialogue with Trump, who has said he intends to bring a swift end to the war.

OIL PRICE CAP

Zelenskiy, in his nightly video address, said a key element in achieving security for Ukraine and bringing Russia to account was reducing European consumption of Russian energy, particularly oil.

"Naturally, energy resources, particularly oil, are one of the biggest keys to peace and real security," he said. "And Europe needs to work more closely with America and other international partners, not Russia, on energy resources."

The president's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said a firm price cap on Russian oil was "the path to global security" and stood by $30 per barrel on Russian oil, as recommended by an international expert group he co-chairs. The cap is now $60.

"We fully support U.S. President Donald Trump's aspiration to lower the price on oil," he wrote on Telegram. "The consequence of this would be the collapse of Russia's ability to finance the war."

(Reporting by Dan Peleschuk and Ron Popeski; Editing by Tom Balmforth, Ros Russell and Cynthia Osterman)

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