UK and France Plan to Send Forces to Ukraine should a Peace Agreement is Finalized

The UK and France have inked a statement of purpose concerning the deployment of armed personnel in Ukraine should a peace deal be made with Moscow, the Prime Minister of Britain, Keir Starmer, has declared.

Subsequent to discussions with Kyiv's partners in the French capital, he indicated that the allies would "create military hubs across Ukraine and construct secure facilities for weapons and defense matériel" to discourage any future invasion.

The allied nations also put forward that the America would assume leadership in overseeing a truce.

Russia has on multiple occasions warned that any external forces in Ukraine would be considered a "acceptable aim", but has as yet not responded on this new declaration.

Context and Ongoing Hostilities

The Kremlin's head Vladimir Putin initiated a comprehensive attack of Ukraine in early 2022, and Moscow presently controls approximately 20% of the country's land.

"This constitutes a crucial element of our vow to support Ukraine for the duration," stated the UK Prime Minister.

Top officials and high-ranking officials from the "Coalition of the Willing" took part in Tuesday's talks.

Addressing reporters at a joint press conference, Starmer noted: "It creates the pathway for the operational parameters under which allied and coalition forces could work on Ukrainian soil, defending Ukraine's skies and seas, and restoring Ukraine's armed forces for the years ahead."

The British leader also stated that the UK would take part in any American-headed confirmation of a potential cessation of hostilities.

Protection Pledges and Diplomatic Positions

Lead American diplomat Steve Witkoff stated that "durable safety pledges and substantial reconstruction vows are critical to a permanent resolution" in Ukraine – mentioning a major requirement made by the Ukrainian government.

Witkoff noted the partner nations had "substantially agreed on" their work on establishing such guarantees "to ensure the citizens of Ukraine know that when this conflict ends, it ends for good."

Donald Trump's son-in-law, former American President Donald Trump's representative, also took part in the negotiations.

At the same time, French President Emmanuel Macron declared that Ukraine's allies had made "significant headway" at the negotiations.

He noted that "strong" defense assurances for the Ukrainian government had been reached in the event of a prospective ceasefire.

President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that a "major step forward" had been made in Paris, but added that he would only consider efforts to be "sufficient" if they resulted in the end of the war.

Earlier, the Ukrainian leader suggested a peace deal was "largely prepared". Finalizing the remaining 10% would "determine the future of the agreement, the future of Ukraine and Europe".

Outstanding Matters

• Sovereign soil and security guarantees have been at the center of ongoing disputes for diplomats.
• Moscow has often said that Kyiv's military must retreat from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region or Russia will occupy it, refusing any concession over how to finish the war.
• Zelensky has to date ruled out ceding any territory, but has suggested that Ukraine could withdraw its forces to an mutually accepted point – but only if Russia follows suit.

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

The earlier US-led comprehensive proposal that was extensively reported to the media last year was seen by Ukraine and its partners in Europe as being strongly biased in Moscow's favor.

This sparked a period of high-level diplomacy – with the involved parties trying to adjust the draft.

The previous month, Ukraine submitted the US an revised framework – as well as separate documents describing possible security guarantees and arrangements for Ukraine's recovery, he said.