European officials are weighing a controversial proposal to establish a 40km buffer zone between Ukrainian and Russian forces as part of a potential peace settlement, with Moscow reportedly expressing support for the plan, Politico reported on August 30.

The proposal, which remains under discussion among Nato and EU diplomats, would involve deploying between 4,000 and 60,000 troops to patrol the demilitarised corridor. No countries have formally committed forces, and former US President Donald Trump has rejected any American troop involvement, according to Tymofiy Mylovanov, president of the Kyiv School of Economics and a former Ukrainian minister.

"French and British forces would likely form the core peacekeeping contingent," Mylovanov said, while "Poland and Germany refuse to send troops to Ukraine." Estonia has pledged to contribute personnel despite its limited resources, but most of the burden would fall on Ukrainian forces deployed near any potential ceasefire zone.

The plan has raised alarm among Nato allies who fear the buffer would compromise the defence of the alliance’s eastern flank and leave Ukrainian cities vulnerable to future Russian attacks. European officials are concerned that creating a fixed demarcation line could inadvertently solidify Russian territorial gains.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was also downbeat on the idea, arguing that in modern warfare the use of drones had made the idea of a DMZ irrelevant.

The proposal gained renewed urgency following a rare Russian missile strike on central Kyiv on August 29 that killed 19 people and damaged offices belonging to the European Union. The attack, described by Mylovanov as evidence that President Vladimir Putin has "no desire to stop fighting", has sharpened divisions within Europe over how to contain further escalation.

While supporters of the buffer argue it could provide a temporary halt to hostilities during the war’s fourth year, sceptics have likened the move to Cold War-era territorial divisions. “European diplomats compare the partition to Cold War Germany's division rather than the Korean DMZ,” Mylovanov noted, calling it a sign of “desperation”.

Under the draft arrangement, the United States would offer only limited support in the form of satellite intelligence and air cover, leaving European nations to take the lead on security guarantees. “Europe will have to show its cards first,” Mylovanov said.