UK and France Plan to Send Troops to Ukraine should a Peace Deal is Agreed

The British and French governments have formalized a declaration of intent concerning the positioning of military forces in Ukraine in the event a peace deal be struck with Russia, the Prime Minister of Britain, Sir Keir Starmer, has announced.

Subsequent to talks with Ukraine's allies in Paris, he said that the UK and France would "create defense centers across Ukraine and erect protected structures for arms and defense matériel" to prevent any potential attack.

The allied nations also suggested that the America would take the lead in monitoring a truce.

Russia has consistently cautioned that any external forces in Ukraine would be considered a "acceptable aim", but has not yet responded on this new announcement.

Context and Continuing War

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in the start of last year, and Russia currently occupies roughly 20% of the country's land.

"This constitutes a crucial element of our commitment to stand with Ukraine for the duration," commented Starmer.

Top officials and senior officials from the "Allied Coalition" took part in the Paris negotiations.

Addressing reporters at a shared media briefing, he further said: "It creates the pathway for the legal framework under which allied and coalition forces could work on Ukraine's territory, protecting Ukraine's air and maritime domains, and restoring Ukraine's defense capabilities for the years ahead."

The UK prime minister added that the UK would be involved in any American-headed monitoring of a possible cessation of hostilities.

Security Guarantees and Diplomatic Positions

Lead Washington representative Steve Witkoff remarked that "durable defense assurances and robust prosperity commitments are critical to a permanent resolution" in Ukraine – referring to a key demand made by Ukraine.

He noted the coalition had "substantially agreed on" their work on agreeing such pledges "to ensure the Ukrainian people know that when this hostilities ends, it ends forever."

Donald Trump's son-in-law, US President Donald Trump's special envoy, also was involved in the discussions.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Ukraine's allies had made "significant progress" at the negotiations.

He added that "robust" security guarantees for Kyiv had been agreed in the case of a possible truce.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that a "major step forward" had been made in the talks, but qualified that he would only view efforts to be "adequate" if they led to the cessation of the fighting.

Recently, he indicated a settlement was "mostly finalized". Settling the outstanding 10% would "decide the fate of peace, the future of Ukraine and Europe".

Outstanding Matters

• Land and defense assurances have been at the heart of unresolved issues for negotiators.
• The Russian President has repeatedly warned that Kyiv's military must withdraw from the entirety of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Russia will take control, rejecting any concession over how to finish the war.
• The Ukrainian President has thus far excluded ceding any land, but has proposed that Ukraine could withdraw its troops to an agreed point – but only if Russia does the same.

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

The original US-led multi-point framework that was extensively reported to the media last year was viewed by Ukraine and its EU supporters as being heavily skewed in Russia's favor.

This led to a period of high-level negotiations – with all sides trying to revise the proposal.

The previous month, Ukraine submitted the US an revised proposal – as well as separate documents outlining prospective security guarantees and plans for Ukraine's rebuilding, he said.