UK and France Plan to Send Forces to Ukraine if a Peace Deal is Finalized

The British and French governments have inked a declaration of intent concerning the deployment of military forces in the nation should a peace deal be made with Russia, the UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has declared.

Subsequent to negotiations with Ukraine's allies in the French capital, he indicated that the two nations would "set up military hubs throughout Ukraine and construct fortified facilities for weapons and military equipment" to deter any future invasion.

The coalition members also proposed that the US would play the primary role in overseeing a ceasefire.

Moscow has consistently stated that any non-Ukrainian military in Ukraine would be considered a "legitimate target", but has as yet not responded on this recent development.

Context and Continuing War

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Russian forces presently controls approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory.

"This represents an essential component of our vow to be alongside Ukraine for the duration," stated the British leader.

Heads of state and top officials from the "Allied Coalition" participated in the Paris negotiations.

Speaking at a shared media briefing, Starmer added: "It paves the way for the operational parameters under which British, French, and partner forces could operate on the ground in Ukraine, securing Ukraine's air and maritime domains, and regenerating Ukraine's military for the years ahead."

The UK prime minister went on to say that the UK would be involved in any Washington-directed verification of a potential truce.

Protection Pledges and Diplomatic Positions

Lead Washington representative Steve Witkoff remarked that "durable defense assurances and strong economic promises are vital to a permanent resolution" in Ukraine – alluding to a major condition made by the Ukrainian government.

Witkoff said the partner nations had "mostly completed" their work on establishing such assurances "to ensure the Ukrainian people know that when this hostilities ends, it ends for good."

Donald Trump's son-in-law, US President Donald Trump's special envoy, also took part in the negotiations.

Separately, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Ukraine's supporters had made "considerable progress" at the meeting.

He added that "comprehensive" security guarantees for Kyiv had been settled upon in the instance of a potential truce.

Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky stated that a "major development" had been made in the negotiations, but cautioned that he would only view efforts to be "adequate" if they resulted in the cessation of the conflict.

Recently, he indicated a peace deal was "90% ready". Agreeing on the last 10% would "decide the outcome of the agreement, the fate of Ukraine and Europe".

Outstanding Matters

• Territory and security guarantees have been at the forefront of ongoing disputes for negotiators.
• The Russian President has consistently stated that Ukraine's forces must pull back from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Russia will take control, rejecting any middle ground over how to conclude the war.
• The Ukrainian President has thus far rejected ceding any land, but has proposed that Ukraine could move its forces to an mutually accepted point – but only if Russia reciprocates.

Russian forces currently holds approximately 75% of the Donetsk oblast and around 99% of the bordering Luhansk. The areas form the heartland of the Donbas.

The earlier US-led 28-point proposal that was extensively reported to the media last year was seen by Kyiv and its European allies as being heavily skewed in Russia's direction.

This sparked weeks of high-level diplomacy – with all sides trying to revise the draft.

Recently, Ukraine sent the US an revised 20-point plan – as well as separate documents outlining potential defense assurances and provisions for Ukraine's rebuilding, the President said.