A Powerful Peacekeeping Proposal Meets a Wall of Russian Threats

A faint glimmer of a potential US role in peacekeeping has emerged, only to be immediately overshadowed by a wall of Russian threats. A report that the US might consider monitoring a demilitarized buffer zone offers a sliver of hope for de-escalation, but this hypothetical plan is rendered almost moot by Vladimir Putin’s hardline stance.

A potential American contribution could involve leading a monitoring mission for a buffer zone after a ceasefire. This would be a significant, tangible commitment from Washington, possibly using ground troops from non-NATO countries to avoid direct confrontation.

However, this entire concept is contingent on two factors that are currently non-existent: a ceasefire agreement and Russian acquiescence. Putin’s latest threat to target any foreign troops makes no distinction between NATO and non-NATO, or between combat forces and ceasefire monitors. His declaration treats any boots on the ground as a hostile act.

This creates a conundrum for Western policymakers. The path to a stable peace may require a neutral monitoring force, a role the US might be willing to facilitate. Yet, Russia’s sweeping threats against any such presence suggest that the very mechanism needed to enforce a peace could become the trigger for a new phase of the war.