Britain and France Plan to Send Troops to the Country should a Peace Agreement is Finalized

The UK and France have inked a statement of purpose concerning the deployment of military forces in the nation in the event a ceasefire be struck with Moscow, the UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has announced.

After negotiations with Ukraine's allies in the French capital, he said that the two nations would "set up defense centers across Ukraine and erect secure facilities for arms and defense matériel" to deter any subsequent invasion.

The coalition members also put forward that the United States would assume leadership in monitoring a truce.

Russia has on multiple occasions warned that any foreign troops in Ukraine would be considered a "legitimate target", but has not yet issued a statement on this recent development.

Context and Continuing War

The Kremlin's head Vladimir Putin launched a major offensive of Ukraine in February 2022, and Russian forces currently holds approximately 20% of the country's land.

"This is a vital part of our vow to support Ukraine for the foreseeable future," stated the British leader.

Heads of state and top officials from the "Partner Group" took part in the Paris negotiations.

Speaking at a joint press conference, he further said: "It creates the pathway for the legal framework under which allied and coalition forces could operate on the ground in Ukraine, securing Ukraine's airspace and waters, and restoring Ukraine's defense capabilities for the time to come."

The PM also stated that the UK would take part in any US-led monitoring of a potential truce.

Defense Assurances and Negotiation Stances

Lead Washington representative Steve Witkoff said that "durable defense assurances and substantial prosperity commitments are essential to a lasting peace" in Ukraine – mentioning a key condition made by Ukraine.

The negotiator noted the allies had "mostly completed" their work on finalizing such guarantees "to ensure the people of Ukraine know that when this conflict ends, it ends permanently."

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

Separately, President Macron Emmanuel Macron said that Ukraine's allies had made "significant headway" at the talks.

He noted that "robust" defense assurances for the Ukrainian government had been reached in the case of a possible ceasefire.

Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky stated that a "huge step forward" had been made in the negotiations, but added that he would only deem efforts to be "adequate" if they culminated in the conclusion of the fighting.

Earlier, he said a peace agreement was "90% ready". Agreeing on the outstanding 10% would "decide the outcome of the agreement, the destiny of Ukraine and Europe".

Outstanding Matters

• Sovereign soil and security guarantees have been at the heart of unresolved issues for negotiators.
• The Russian President has repeatedly warned that Ukrainian troops must withdraw from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Russia will take control, dismissing any middle ground over how to conclude the war.
• The Ukrainian President has thus far rejected giving up any territory, but has proposed that Ukraine could withdraw its troops to an mutually accepted point – but only if Russia reciprocates.

Russia presently occupies approximately 75% of the Donetsk region and some 99% of the adjacent Luhansk region. The areas form the area of Donbas.

The original US-led comprehensive proposal that was circulated to the media last year was viewed by Ukraine and its European allies as being heavily skewed in Russia's direction.

This sparked a period of high-level negotiations – with Ukraine, the US and European leaders trying to revise the document.

Last month, Kyiv submitted the US an revised 20-point plan – as well as additional documents outlining possible security guarantees and provisions for Ukraine's recovery, he added.