UK and France Plan to Send Forces to the Country in the event that a Peace Agreement is Reached

The British and French governments have formalized a declaration of intent concerning the deployment of troops in Ukraine should a peace deal be struck with Russia, the UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has stated.

Following negotiations with allied nations in the French capital, he noted that the allies would "set up military hubs throughout Ukraine and construct fortified facilities for arms and military equipment" to discourage any subsequent attack.

The allied nations also proposed that the United States would assume leadership in verifying a ceasefire.

The Kremlin has consistently cautioned that any foreign troops in Ukraine would be considered a "legitimate target", but has so far not issued a statement on this recent declaration.

Background and Ongoing Conflict

Russian President Vladimir Putin began a comprehensive attack of Ukraine in early 2022, and Russia presently controls roughly 20% of Ukraine's sovereign soil.

"This represents an essential component of our pledge to be alongside Ukraine for the duration," stated Starmer.

National leaders and senior officials from the "Partner Group" participated in Tuesday's talks.

Speaking at a combined announcement, he added: "It creates the pathway for the legal framework under which allied and coalition forces could operate on Ukraine's territory, securing Ukraine's airspace and waters, and regenerating Ukraine's military for the time to come."

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

Security Guarantees and Diplomatic Positions

Top American diplomat Steve Witkoff said that "durable safety pledges and substantial reconstruction vows are vital to a lasting peace" in Ukraine – alluding to a major requirement made by the Ukrainian government.

Witkoff noted the allies had "substantially agreed on" their work on agreeing such pledges "so that the people of Ukraine know that when this war ends, it ends permanently."

Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's advisor, also took part in the talks.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Ukraine's allies had made "considerable progress" at the talks.

He noted that "robust" safety pledges for the Ukrainian government had been reached in the instance of a potential truce.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a "huge step forward" had been made in the talks, but qualified that he would only deem efforts to be "enough" if they culminated in the end of the war.

Earlier, Zelensky indicated a settlement was "mostly finalized". Finalizing the outstanding 10% would "shape the fate of peace, the future of Ukraine and Europe".

Remaining Challenges

• Sovereign soil and defense assurances have been at the center of ongoing disputes for diplomats.
• Putin has repeatedly warned that Ukraine's forces must withdraw from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Russia will seize it, refusing any compromise over how to finish the war.
• The Ukrainian President has to date rejected surrendering any territory, but has floated the idea that Ukraine could move its troops to an mutually accepted point – but only if Russia reciprocates.

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

The original US-led multi-point proposal that was circulated to the media last year was seen by Ukraine and its European allies as being strongly biased in Russia's direction.

This sparked weeks of focused negotiations – with the involved parties trying to amend the proposal.

The previous month, The Ukrainian government presented the US an new framework – as well as separate documents detailing potential security guarantees and arrangements for Ukraine's rebuilding, he said.