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

The British and French governments have inked a statement of purpose concerning the positioning of armed personnel in the nation in the event a peace deal be concluded with Russia, the British leader, Starmer, has stated.

After talks with Ukraine's allies in Paris, he noted that the UK and France would "set up military hubs in various parts of Ukraine and build fortified installations for arms and equipment" to prevent any subsequent invasion.

The allied nations also suggested that the America would assume leadership in overseeing a ceasefire.

Russia has on multiple occasions warned that any external forces in Ukraine would be considered a "valid objective", but has not yet commented on this recent development.

Background and Continuing Conflict

Moscow's leader Vladimir Putin launched a comprehensive attack of Ukraine in February 2022, and Russian forces currently controls approximately 20% of the country's land.

"This represents an essential component of our vow to be alongside Ukraine for the foreseeable future," remarked the British leader.

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

Speaking at a shared media briefing, the Prime Minister added: "It paves the way for the operational parameters under which British, French, and partner forces could function on Ukraine's territory, defending Ukraine's skies and seas, and regenerating Ukraine's military for the future."

The PM added that Britain would participate in any US-led verification of a possible truce.

Protection Pledges and Negotiation Stances

Senior US negotiator Steve Witkoff said that "durable safety pledges and robust prosperity commitments are essential to a enduring ceasefire" in Ukraine – mentioning a major requirement made by Ukraine.

He noted the coalition had "mostly completed" their work on agreeing such guarantees "in order that the Ukrainian people know that when this conflict ends, it ends forever."

The former US envoy, ex-President Donald Trump's special envoy, also participated in the discussions.

At the same time, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Ukraine's partners had made "considerable progress" at the negotiations.

He added that "strong" safety pledges for Kyiv had been agreed in the instance of a potential truce.

Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky commented that a "significant development" had been made in the negotiations, but cautioned that he would only deem efforts to be "adequate" if they resulted in the cessation of the conflict.

Recently, Zelensky said a peace deal was "mostly finalized". Agreeing on the last 10% would "shape the future of the agreement, the destiny of Ukraine and Europe".

Unresolved Issues

• Sovereign soil and defense assurances have been at the center of key disagreements for negotiators.
• Putin has repeatedly warned that Ukrainian troops must retreat from the entirety of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region or Russia will occupy it, refusing any concession over how to conclude the war.
• The Ukrainian President has to date excluded giving up any territory, but has proposed that Ukraine could withdraw its troops to an mutually accepted point – but only if Russia follows suit.

Moscow currently occupies about 75% of the Donetsk oblast and some 99% of the adjacent Luhansk. The pair of oblasts form the industrial region of Donbas.

The earlier US-led comprehensive framework that was extensively reported to the media last year was viewed by Kyiv and its European allies as being heavily skewed in Moscow's favor.

This led to a period of focused diplomacy – with all sides trying to adjust the proposal.

The previous month, Kyiv sent the US an revised 20-point plan – as well as distinct documents outlining possible security guarantees and plans for Ukraine's recovery, Zelensky added.