UK and France Will Dispatch Military Personnel to Ukraine should a Peace Deal is Finalized

The British and French governments have inked a declaration of intent concerning the positioning of military forces in Ukraine should a peace deal be made with Russia, the British leader, Sir Keir Starmer, has announced.

After negotiations with allied nations in the French capital, he said that the allies would "set up military hubs throughout Ukraine and erect protected facilities for weapons and military equipment" to discourage any potential attack.

The coalition members also proposed that the United States would play the primary role in monitoring a truce.

The Kremlin has consistently stated that any foreign troops in Ukraine would be considered a "valid objective", but has not yet responded on this latest announcement.

Background and Continuing Conflict

Moscow's leader Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, and Russia at this time holds roughly 20% of Ukrainian territory.

"This represents an essential component of our pledge to support Ukraine for the long-term," remarked the British leader.

Top officials and high-ranking officials from the "Coalition of the Willing" participated in the Paris negotiations.

Addressing reporters at a joint press conference, the Prime Minister noted: "It establishes the framework for the juridical structure under which British, French, and partner forces could work on Ukrainian soil, defending Ukraine's airspace and waters, and regenerating Ukraine's armed forces for the future."

The British leader also stated that London would participate in any Washington-directed confirmation of a possible cessation of hostilities.

Protection Pledges and Negotiation Stances

Senior US negotiator Steve Witkoff remarked that "lasting security guarantees and strong reconstruction vows are critical to a enduring ceasefire" in Ukraine – mentioning a major condition made by the Ukrainian government.

The negotiator noted the coalition had "mostly completed" their work on agreeing such guarantees "to ensure the people of Ukraine know that when this war ends, it ends forever."

Donald Trump's son-in-law, US President Donald Trump's representative, also was involved in the talks.

Meanwhile, France's leader Emmanuel Macron declared that Ukraine's partners had made "significant progress" at the negotiations.

He said that "robust" security guarantees for Ukraine had been reached in the case of a possible truce.

Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky stated that a "significant step forward" had been made in the talks, but cautioned that he would only view efforts to be "enough" if they led to the cessation of the conflict.

Recently, he suggested a peace deal was "largely prepared". Settling the last 10% would "determine the fate of peace, the fate of Ukraine and Europe".

Outstanding Matters

• Sovereign soil and security guarantees have been at the heart of key disagreements for negotiators.
• Moscow has consistently stated that Ukrainian troops must pull back from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region or Russia will take control, rejecting any concession over how to end the war.
• Kyiv has so far excluded ceding any territory, but has proposed that Ukraine could move its troops to an designated point – but only if Russia follows suit.

Russia presently controls approximately 75% of the Donetsk oblast and some 99% of the adjacent Luhansk region. The two regions form the area of Donbas.

The original US-led 28-point proposal that was widely leaked to the media last year was viewed by Kyiv and its EU supporters as being heavily skewed in Russia's direction.

This led to a period of intensive discussions – with Ukraine, the US and European leaders trying to amend the proposal.

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