Britain and France Plan to Send Troops to Ukraine should a Ceasefire Accord is Finalized

The British and French governments have formalized a statement of purpose concerning the stationing of troops in Ukraine should a peace agreement be struck with Russia, the Prime Minister of Britain, Sir Keir Starmer, has announced.

After talks with allied nations in the French capital, he noted that the UK and France would "create military hubs across Ukraine and erect fortified facilities for weapons and equipment" to deter any subsequent incursion.

The allied nations also proposed that the US would assume leadership in overseeing a truce.

The Kremlin has on multiple occasions stated that any external forces in Ukraine would be considered a "legitimate target", but has so far not commented on this latest declaration.

The Situation and Ongoing War

The Kremlin's head Vladimir Putin began a major offensive of Ukraine in February 2022, and Russia currently controls approximately 20% of Ukraine's sovereign soil.

"This constitutes a crucial element of our vow to be alongside Ukraine for the duration," commented the UK Prime Minister.

Top officials and top officials from the "Allied Coalition" participated in the recent discussions.

Speaking at a shared media briefing, the Prime Minister noted: "It establishes the framework for the legal framework under which allied and coalition forces could work on Ukraine's territory, securing Ukraine's airspace and waters, and regenerating Ukraine's military for the time to come."

The PM added that London would be involved in any US-led confirmation of a prospective ceasefire.

Security Guarantees and Negotiation Stances

Top US negotiator Steve Witkoff said that "long-term defense assurances and substantial reconstruction vows are essential to a permanent resolution" in Ukraine – alluding to a major condition made by the Ukrainian government.

The negotiator indicated the coalition had "substantially agreed on" their work on agreeing such guarantees "to ensure the Ukrainian people know that when this hostilities ends, it ends permanently."

The former US envoy, US President Donald Trump's advisor, also was involved in the negotiations.

At the same time, President Macron Emmanuel Macron stated that Ukraine's supporters had made "significant headway" at the meeting.

He said that "comprehensive" defense assurances for the Ukrainian government had been settled upon in the event of a possible truce.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented that a "significant step forward" had been made in Paris, but added that he would only consider efforts to be "adequate" if they led to the end of the fighting.

Last week, he said a settlement was "mostly finalized". Settling the outstanding 10% would "shape the fate of the agreement, the future of Ukraine and Europe".

Outstanding Matters

• Land and defense assurances have been at the forefront of key disagreements for diplomats.
• Moscow has often said that Ukrainian troops must retreat from the entirety of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Russia will take control, rejecting any compromise over how to finish the war.
• Zelensky has so far rejected ceding any land, but has floated the idea that Ukraine could move its forces to an designated point – but only if Russia does the same.

Russian forces presently holds about 75% of the Donetsk oblast and around 99% of the adjacent Luhansk. The pair of oblasts form the heartland of Donbas.

The original US-led 28-point framework that was widely leaked to the media last year was viewed by Ukraine and its EU supporters as being disproportionately favorable in Russia's favor.

This led to a period of intensive discussions – with the involved parties trying to amend the document.

The previous month, Ukraine presented the US an new framework – as well as additional documents describing potential defense assurances and provisions for Ukraine's recovery, the President said.