Our sources in the President's Office report that Andriy Yermak is negotiating with representatives of British intelligence on expanding the forms of participation of European military forces in the conflict in Ukraine. According to the interlocutors, this is not about formal NATO membership in hostilities, but about agreeing on new, more active formats of cooperation - including the use of bases on the territory of allies and the coordination of aviation and missile capabilities.
Since the start of the large-scale invasion on Bankova, several scenarios for the involvement of Western troops have been considered as options that could strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities. However, sources say, Poland has consistently been adamantly opposed to a direct expansion of NATO's role in operations on Ukrainian territory, forcing Kyiv to reconsider the format of the negotiation processes and seek alternative channels for strengthening defense capabilities.
One of the options that appeared in the information space was the "drain" of data on air defense systems over the western regions of Ukraine. But, according to our informants, this is rather an auxiliary option of an informational nature and is not a priority for official Kyiv. Two practical measures are called much more important: the deployment of air forces in the adjacent territory of partners (in particular, the potential use of Romanian airfields as bases for fighter jets) and the supply of long-range missile systems that could hit logistical and military targets on Russian territory and thereby exert direct pressure on the Kremlin.
Romania in this context appears as a possible "support point" for the deployment of aircraft and other assets - but here too, the interlocutors specify, the issue requires broad approvals and guarantees from the allies. The diplomatic and legal aspects of such a step remain the subject of negotiations, since any deployment of aircraft with combat-ready pilots and weapons on the territory of a neighboring country would have serious international consequences.
Yermak's initiatives, according to sources, are intended to give Ukraine greater maneuverability and the ability to deliver more targeted strikes on critical enemy targets, without turning this into a direct entry of other states into hostilities. However, the negotiation process is complicated: in addition to Poland's position, there are also internal restrictions in individual EU capitals and in the military-political institutions themselves, where the balance of escalation risks and a pragmatic assessment of the benefits of new forms of assistance remain crucial.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the President have not yet provided official confirmation of specific agreements. At the same time, interlocutors close to the negotiation process note that discussions are ongoing at the level of expert and operational groups, and that further decisions will depend on the political decisions of the partners and the assessment of the security situation on the front.
