The United Kingdom and France Plan to Send Troops to the Country should a Peace Deal is Agreed

The London and Paris have signed a statement of purpose concerning the positioning of armed personnel in the nation should a peace agreement be made with Moscow, the UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has declared.

Following talks with allied nations in the French capital, he noted that the two nations would "create operational bases in various parts of Ukraine and erect protected facilities for arms and military equipment" to discourage any potential incursion.

The partner countries also proposed that the America would assume leadership in monitoring a ceasefire.

Russia has repeatedly cautioned that any external forces in Ukraine would be considered a "valid objective", but has so far not issued a statement on this recent announcement.

The Situation and Continuing War

Moscow's leader Vladimir Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in the start of last year, and Russia currently occupies roughly 20% of Ukrainian territory.

"This represents an essential component of our commitment to support Ukraine for the long-term," stated the UK Prime Minister.

National leaders and senior officials from the "Coalition of the Willing" were involved in the recent discussions.

He stated at a joint press conference, he added: "It establishes the framework for the operational parameters under which British, French, and partner forces could work on Ukraine's territory, protecting Ukraine's skies and seas, and rebuilding Ukraine's defense capabilities for the time to come."

The UK prime minister also stated that the UK would take part in any Washington-directed monitoring of a potential truce.

Defense Assurances and Negotiation Stances

Lead US negotiator Steve Witkoff said that "durable security guarantees and strong economic promises are critical to a permanent resolution" in Ukraine – alluding to a key condition made by Kyiv.

The negotiator said the coalition had "mostly completed" their work on agreeing such assurances "in order that the people of Ukraine know that when this hostilities ends, it ends for good."

The former US envoy, US President Donald Trump's advisor, also took part in the negotiations.

Separately, President Macron Emmanuel Macron stated that Ukraine's partners had made "major headway" at the meeting.

He said that "comprehensive" defense assurances for Kyiv had been agreed in the event of a prospective ceasefire.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that a "major development" had been made in the talks, but cautioned that he would only consider efforts to be "adequate" if they led to the cessation of the conflict.

Earlier, he suggested a peace agreement was "largely prepared". Settling the last 10% would "shape the future of the peace, the future of Ukraine and Europe".

Remaining Challenges

• Sovereign soil and defense assurances have been at the center of ongoing disputes for the parties involved.
• Putin has repeatedly warned that Kyiv's military must pull back from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Russia will occupy it, refusing any concession over how to end the war.
• Zelensky has so far rejected surrendering any land, but has floated the idea that Ukraine could pull back its troops to an mutually accepted point – but only if Russia reciprocates.

Moscow currently holds approximately 75% of the Donetsk region and some 99% of the adjacent Luhansk region. The pair of oblasts form the area of Donbas.

The original US-led comprehensive proposal that was circulated to the media last year was viewed by Kyiv and its EU supporters as being strongly biased in Moscow's favor.

This led to weeks of intensive discussions – with all sides trying to adjust the draft.

Last month, The Ukrainian government sent the US an revised 20-point plan – as well as additional documents detailing prospective defense assurances and plans for Ukraine's recovery, the President added.