Britain and France to Deploy Troops to Ukraine in the event that a Ceasefire Accord is Reached

The British and French governments have inked a statement of purpose concerning the stationing of military forces in Ukraine should a peace deal be concluded with Russia, the Prime Minister of Britain, Sir Keir Starmer, has announced.

Subsequent to negotiations with allied nations in the French capital, he said that the allies would "create operational bases across Ukraine and build secure structures for arms and defense matériel" to discourage any future attack.

The partner countries also proposed that the America would play the primary role in monitoring a truce.

Moscow has repeatedly warned that any foreign troops in Ukraine would be considered a "valid objective", but has as yet not commented on this latest announcement.

The Situation and Ongoing War

Moscow's leader Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Russia at this time controls about 20% of Ukraine's sovereign soil.

"This is a vital part of our pledge to support Ukraine for the long-term," remarked Starmer.

National leaders and high-ranking officials from the "Allied Coalition" participated in the recent discussions.

Addressing reporters at a joint press conference, he further said: "It creates the pathway for the legal framework under which British, French, and partner forces could operate on the ground in Ukraine, defending Ukraine's airspace and waters, and restoring Ukraine's armed forces for the future."

The British leader also stated that the UK would participate in any American-headed verification of a possible cessation of hostilities.

Defense Assurances and Negotiation Stances

Top American diplomat Steve Witkoff remarked that "long-term defense assurances and robust prosperity commitments are critical to a enduring ceasefire" in Ukraine – alluding to a central demand made by Kyiv.

Witkoff noted the allies had "substantially agreed on" their work on establishing such guarantees "to ensure the Ukrainian people know that when this conflict ends, it ends forever."

Jared Kushner, former American President Donald Trump's representative, also was involved in the negotiations.

Separately, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Ukraine's allies had made "significant headway" at the talks.

He said that "robust" security guarantees for Ukraine had been settled upon in the instance of a potential truce.

President Volodymyr Zelensky commented that a "major development" had been made in the negotiations, but cautioned that he would only view efforts to be "enough" if they resulted in the end of the fighting.

Recently, he said a settlement was "90% ready". Agreeing on the remaining 10% would "determine the future of peace, the fate of Ukraine and Europe".

Unresolved Issues

• Territory and security guarantees have been at the heart of ongoing disputes for diplomats.
• Putin has repeatedly warned that Kyiv's military must retreat from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Russia will take control, refusing any concession over how to conclude the war.
• The Ukrainian President has to date ruled out surrendering any territory, but has proposed that Ukraine could withdraw its forces to an designated point – but only if Russia follows suit.

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

The initial US-led multi-point peace plan that was extensively reported to the media last year was seen by Ukraine and its European allies as being strongly biased in Moscow's favor.

This triggered a period of intensive diplomacy – with the involved parties trying to adjust the document.

Last month, Ukraine submitted the US an updated 20-point plan – as well as separate documents describing potential security guarantees and plans for Ukraine's rebuilding, he added.