Britain and France Plan to Send Forces to Ukraine in the event that a Ceasefire Accord is Finalized

The British and French governments have inked a statement of purpose concerning the deployment of armed personnel in Ukraine if a peace agreement be struck with Russia, the UK Prime Minister, Starmer, has declared.

Following negotiations with Kyiv's partners in Paris, he said that the UK and France would "set up defense centers throughout Ukraine and construct secure facilities for weapons and equipment" to prevent any potential incursion.

The partner countries also put forward that the America would play the primary role in overseeing a truce.

Russia has consistently stated that any foreign troops in Ukraine would be considered a "valid objective", but has so far not responded on this new declaration.

The Situation and Continuing War

Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a major offensive of Ukraine in February 2022, and Russian forces at this time occupies roughly 20% of the country's land.

"This constitutes a crucial element of our commitment to be alongside Ukraine for the foreseeable future," stated the UK Prime Minister.

Top officials and senior officials from the "Coalition of the Willing" participated in Tuesday's talks.

Addressing reporters at a joint press conference, Starmer added: "It establishes the framework for the operational parameters under which British, French, and partner forces could work on Ukrainian soil, defending Ukraine's skies and seas, and restoring Ukraine's military for the years ahead."

The PM added that London would be involved in any American-headed verification of a possible truce.

Security Guarantees and Negotiation Stances

Lead Washington representative Steve Witkoff remarked that "durable safety pledges and strong prosperity commitments are vital to a lasting peace" in Ukraine – alluding to a major condition made by the Ukrainian government.

He noted the coalition had "largely finished" their work on finalizing such assurances "so that the citizens of Ukraine know that when this hostilities ends, it ends permanently."

Donald Trump's son-in-law, ex-President Donald Trump's advisor, also participated in the talks.

Separately, France's leader Emmanuel Macron said that Ukraine's supporters had made "major headway" at the talks.

He said that "strong" security guarantees for Kyiv had been settled upon in the event of a potential truce.

President Volodymyr Zelensky commented that a "major development" had been made in the negotiations, but cautioned that he would only view efforts to be "sufficient" if they culminated in the cessation of the war.

Recently, Zelensky said a peace agreement was "90% ready". Finalizing the outstanding 10% would "shape the future of peace, the fate of Ukraine and Europe".

Outstanding Matters

• Land and security guarantees have been at the center of key disagreements for diplomats.
• Putin has often said that Ukraine's forces must retreat from the entirety of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Russia will occupy it, rejecting any compromise over how to conclude the war.
• The Ukrainian President has so far excluded giving up any land, but has floated the idea that Ukraine could withdraw its forces to an mutually accepted point – but only if Russia does the same.

Russian forces currently holds approximately 75% of the Donetsk oblast and around 99% of the adjacent Luhansk. The areas form the area of the Donbas.

The original US-led multi-point framework that was extensively reported to the media last year was seen by Kyiv and its European allies as being disproportionately favorable in Moscow's direction.

This sparked weeks of intensive diplomacy – with the involved parties trying to amend the proposal.

Last month, Ukraine presented the US an revised framework – as well as separate documents detailing possible defense assurances and arrangements for Ukraine's rebuilding, he said.