Staff Reports
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former Secretary‑General of NATO, just told Europe to stop asking politely and start acting. In a fresh interview he urged Britain and France to deploy troops to Ukraine in rear‑area roles and to set up a Black Sea maritime sentry so Europe can bring real assets to talks and force a fair peace. That is the news. The rest is argument and risk — and yes, plenty of hand‑wringing in capitals.
Rasmussen’s wake‑up call: deploy troops to Ukraine and build a Black Sea sentry
Rasmussen said Europe is “begging for a place at the table” and must become “indispensable by bringing assets to the table.” His target is clear: the Anglo‑French plan to stand by until a ceasefire is signed is too slow. He wants British and French troops in rear‑area and infrastructure defense roles so Ukrainian soldiers can stay on the front lines. He also wants a multinational Black Sea mission — a sentry to protect navigation and push back Russian naval threats. Those are bold steps, not speech filings.
Practical hurdles and the real danger of escalation
Let’s not pretend this is easy. Any foreign troop presence on Ukrainian soil needs Kyiv’s consent to be lawful. Putin has already warned that foreign forces would be a red line and could become targets. NATO planning and national parliaments in London and Paris have tied deployments to a ceasefire. And yes, Rasmussen accused President Donald Trump of tilting toward Moscow in recent talks, which makes allied unity messier. So the idea is simple. The politics and the risks are not.
Why conservatives should cheer strength, not endless caution
Call it what you like — prudence or paralysis — Europe’s current “coalition of the waiting” has provided neither security nor leverage. Rasmussen’s prescription is painfully direct: show strength, change Putin’s calculus, and stop letting Washington alone write the script. If that means British and French troops in rear roles, a Black Sea sentry with Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania, and more Western air and missile defenses for Ukraine, then do it. Yes, there are risks. So were the risks of letting an aggressor redraw borders with impunity. Strength is the deterrent. Weakness is the invitation.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham and President Emmanuel Macron must decide if Europe will be indispensable or irrelevant. NATO Secretary‑General Mark Rutte and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy need real, clear plans and legal authority. And President Donald Trump would do well to remember that steady deterrence buys peace more cheaply than excuses. Rasmussen has thrown down a gauntlet. Europe should pick it up — or explain to future generations why it chose the waiting room over the front line.
