Britain and France Plan to Send Forces to the Country in the event that a Peace Deal is Finalized

The London and Paris have signed a statement of purpose concerning the deployment of troops in the nation should a peace agreement be made with Moscow, the UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has announced.

Following discussions with allied nations in the French capital, he said that the two nations would "create defense centers in various parts of Ukraine and erect fortified installations for weapons and defense matériel" to discourage any subsequent invasion.

The partner countries also suggested that the United States would take the lead in monitoring a ceasefire.

Russia has on multiple occasions stated that any external forces in Ukraine would be considered a "legitimate target", but has not yet responded on this recent development.

Context and Ongoing Hostilities

Moscow's leader Vladimir Putin initiated a comprehensive attack of Ukraine in early 2022, and Russia currently occupies roughly 20% of Ukrainian territory.

"This constitutes a crucial element of our vow to stand with Ukraine for the duration," remarked the UK Prime Minister.

Heads of state and top officials from the "Allied Coalition" were involved in the recent discussions.

Addressing reporters at a shared media briefing, Starmer further said: "It paves the way for the juridical structure under which allied and coalition forces could work on Ukrainian soil, defending Ukraine's air and maritime domains, and restoring Ukraine's defense capabilities for the future."

The UK prime minister also stated that London would take part in any Washington-directed verification of a possible truce.

Security Guarantees and Negotiation Stances

Lead Washington representative Steve Witkoff stated that "long-term safety pledges and substantial economic promises are critical to a permanent resolution" in Ukraine – referring to a central condition made by Kyiv.

Witkoff said the allies had "substantially agreed on" their work on agreeing such pledges "in order that the citizens of Ukraine know that when this hostilities ends, it ends for good."

Donald Trump's son-in-law, former American President Donald Trump's special envoy, also participated in the talks.

Meanwhile, President Macron Emmanuel Macron said that Ukraine's supporters had made "major progress" at the talks.

He said that "strong" defense assurances for Kyiv had been agreed in the case of a prospective truce.

President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that a "major step forward" had been made in the negotiations, but qualified that he would only consider efforts to be "sufficient" if they led to the conclusion of the fighting.

Recently, Zelensky indicated a peace deal was "largely prepared". Finalizing the remaining 10% would "decide the fate of peace, the future of Ukraine and Europe".

Outstanding Matters

• Sovereign soil and security guarantees have been at the forefront of ongoing disputes for diplomats.
• The Russian President has often said that Kyiv's military must retreat from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region or Russia will occupy it, rejecting any compromise over how to end the war.
• Kyiv has thus far rejected ceding any land, but has proposed that Ukraine could withdraw its troops to an designated point – but only if Russia follows suit.

Russia currently controls approximately 75% of the Donetsk oblast and some 99% of the adjacent Luhansk region. The two regions form the heartland of the Donbas.

The initial US-led multi-point peace plan that was circulated to the media last year was seen by Kyiv and its partners in Europe as being heavily skewed in Russia's direction.

This sparked weeks of intensive discussions – with Ukraine, the US and European leaders trying to adjust the document.

Last month, Ukraine sent the US an new framework – as well as additional documents outlining possible security guarantees and plans for Ukraine's recovery, Zelensky stated.