The United Kingdom and France Plan to Send Forces to Ukraine should a Peace Agreement is Agreed

The UK and France have inked a statement of purpose concerning the deployment of military forces in Ukraine should a peace deal be concluded with Russia, the British leader, Sir Keir Starmer, has declared.

After talks with Kyiv's partners in Paris, he said that the allies would "create military hubs in various parts of Ukraine and build secure installations for military hardware and equipment" to prevent any future incursion.

The allied nations also put forward that the US would assume leadership in overseeing a truce.

Russia has consistently cautioned that any external forces in Ukraine would be considered a "legitimate target", but has not yet commented on this recent declaration.

The Situation and Continuing Conflict

Moscow's leader Vladimir Putin launched a major offensive of Ukraine in February 2022, and Moscow presently occupies approximately 20% of Ukraine's sovereign soil.

"This is a vital part of our commitment to stand with Ukraine for the foreseeable future," remarked Starmer.

Heads of state and top officials from the "Coalition of the Willing" participated in Tuesday's talks.

Addressing reporters at a joint press conference, the Prime Minister noted: "It creates the pathway for the operational parameters under which British, French, and partner forces could work on the ground in Ukraine, securing Ukraine's skies and seas, and restoring Ukraine's defense capabilities for the time to come."

The UK prime minister added that London would participate in any American-headed verification of a potential ceasefire.

Security Guarantees and Negotiation Stances

Senior American diplomat Steve Witkoff remarked that "long-term defense assurances and robust prosperity commitments are critical to a permanent resolution" in Ukraine – alluding to a major demand made by Kyiv.

Witkoff noted the partner nations had "substantially agreed on" their work on finalizing such pledges "in order that the people of Ukraine know that when this war ends, it ends forever."

Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's advisor, also was involved in the discussions.

At the same time, President Macron Emmanuel Macron declared that Ukraine's allies had made "major headway" at the meeting.

He noted that "robust" defense assurances for Ukraine had been reached in the event of a prospective truce.

Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky stated that a "huge development" had been made in Paris, but added that he would only deem efforts to be "adequate" if they resulted in the cessation of the fighting.

Recently, the Ukrainian leader suggested a peace agreement was "mostly finalized". Settling the outstanding 10% would "determine the future of the agreement, the destiny of Ukraine and Europe".

Remaining Challenges

• Territory and defense assurances have been at the center of unresolved issues for negotiators.
• Moscow has repeatedly warned that Ukrainian troops must pull back from the entirety of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region or Russia will take control, refusing any concession over how to end the war.
• The Ukrainian President has to date excluded ceding any territory, but has suggested that Ukraine could pull back its troops to an designated point – but only if Russia follows suit.

Moscow currently controls about 75% of the Donetsk region and some 99% of the neighbouring Luhansk region. The pair of oblasts form the area of Donbas.

The initial US-led comprehensive peace plan that was extensively reported to the media last year was seen by Kyiv and its EU supporters as being disproportionately favorable in Moscow's direction.

This led to a period of high-level diplomacy – with the involved parties trying to adjust the document.

Recently, Kyiv submitted the US an new framework – as well as distinct documents detailing prospective defense assurances and arrangements for Ukraine's recovery, Zelensky stated.