Britain and France Will Dispatch Troops to Ukraine should a Peace Deal is Agreed

The London and Paris have formalized a statement of purpose concerning the deployment of military forces in Ukraine should a peace deal be concluded with Russia, the British leader, Starmer, has announced.

After negotiations with Kyiv's partners in the French capital, he indicated that the two nations would "set up military hubs across Ukraine and erect protected installations for arms and equipment" to discourage any future incursion.

The coalition members also proposed that the America would take the lead in verifying a truce.

Moscow has consistently stated that any external forces in Ukraine would be considered a "acceptable aim", but has as yet not responded on this new development.

The Situation and Continuing War

The Kremlin's head Vladimir Putin launched a major offensive of Ukraine in early 2022, and Russian forces currently occupies about 20% of Ukraine's sovereign soil.

"This is a vital part of our pledge to be alongside Ukraine for the long-term," remarked the UK Prime Minister.

National leaders and senior officials from the "Coalition of the Willing" participated in the Paris negotiations.

Addressing reporters at a combined announcement, the Prime Minister noted: "It paves the way for the operational parameters under which allied and coalition forces could work on Ukraine's territory, defending Ukraine's air and maritime domains, and restoring Ukraine's armed forces for the time to come."

The PM added that the UK would be involved in any American-headed confirmation of a prospective truce.

Security Guarantees and Diplomatic Positions

Top Washington representative Steve Witkoff said that "lasting defense assurances and substantial reconstruction vows are critical to a enduring ceasefire" in Ukraine – mentioning a central requirement made by Ukraine.

Witkoff indicated the coalition had "substantially agreed on" their work on finalizing such assurances "so that the citizens of Ukraine know that when this hostilities ends, it ends forever."

The former US envoy, former American President Donald Trump's representative, also was involved in the talks.

At the same time, President Macron Emmanuel Macron stated that Ukraine's allies had made "major progress" at the talks.

He added that "comprehensive" security guarantees for the Ukrainian government had been agreed in the case of a possible ceasefire.

Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky said that a "major development" had been made in the talks, but added that he would only deem efforts to be "adequate" if they resulted in the cessation of the fighting.

Last week, he suggested a settlement was "90% ready". Finalizing the last 10% would "shape the outcome of peace, the future of Ukraine and Europe".

Remaining Challenges

• Sovereign soil and security guarantees have been at the center of key disagreements for the parties involved.
• Moscow has consistently stated that Ukrainian troops must withdraw from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region or Russia will take control, rejecting any compromise over how to finish the war.
• Zelensky has thus far rejected giving up any land, but has suggested that Ukraine could withdraw its troops to an designated point – but only if Russia follows suit.

Moscow currently holds approximately 75% of the Donetsk region and around 99% of the neighbouring Luhansk region. The pair of oblasts form the heartland of Donbas.

The earlier US-led multi-point peace plan that was extensively reported to the media last year was viewed by Kyiv and its partners in Europe as being disproportionately favorable in Moscow's direction.

This triggered weeks of focused diplomacy – with the involved parties trying to adjust the proposal.

The previous month, Kyiv sent the US an revised proposal – as well as additional documents detailing potential security guarantees and provisions for Ukraine's reconstruction, Zelensky stated.