UK and France Plan to Send Troops to the Country if a Peace Agreement is Reached

The British and French governments have formalized a statement of purpose concerning the positioning of troops in Ukraine if a ceasefire be made with Russia, the UK Prime Minister, Starmer, has declared.

Following negotiations with Kyiv's partners in the French capital, he noted that the UK and France would "establish defense centers across Ukraine and erect protected installations for arms and equipment" to discourage any potential invasion.

The coalition members also proposed that the America would play the primary role in verifying a truce.

Moscow has consistently warned that any foreign troops in Ukraine would be considered a "legitimate target", but has not yet issued a statement on this recent announcement.

Context and Continuing Hostilities

Moscow's leader Vladimir Putin initiated a comprehensive attack of Ukraine in early 2022, and Moscow presently holds about 20% of the country's land.

"This represents an essential component of our commitment to support Ukraine for the long-term," stated Starmer.

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

Speaking at a combined announcement, he further said: "It paves the way for the juridical structure under which British, French, and partner forces could operate on Ukraine's territory, defending Ukraine's airspace and waters, and regenerating Ukraine's armed forces for the time to come."

The UK prime minister also stated that Britain would participate in any American-headed monitoring of a potential cessation of hostilities.

Security Guarantees and Diplomatic Positions

Lead American diplomat Steve Witkoff remarked that "durable defense assurances and substantial prosperity commitments are critical to a lasting peace" in Ukraine – mentioning a key condition made by Kyiv.

The negotiator noted the partner nations had "largely finished" their work on establishing such assurances "so that the people of Ukraine know that when this war ends, it ends permanently."

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

Meanwhile, France's leader Emmanuel Macron declared that Ukraine's allies had made "significant headway" at the negotiations.

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

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a "significant development" had been made in the talks, but qualified that he would only deem efforts to be "sufficient" if they led to the end of the conflict.

Recently, he indicated a peace agreement was "largely prepared". Agreeing on the last 10% would "decide the future of peace, the destiny of Ukraine and Europe".

Unresolved Issues

• Territory and security guarantees have been at the heart of unresolved issues for negotiators.
• The Russian President has consistently stated that Kyiv's military must retreat from the entirety of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Russia will seize it, dismissing any compromise over how to conclude the war.
• The Ukrainian President has so far rejected giving up any land, but has proposed that Ukraine could move its forces to an agreed point – but only if Russia does the same.

Russia presently controls approximately 75% of the Donetsk region and some 99% of the neighbouring Luhansk. The pair of oblasts form the industrial region of Donbas.

The original US-led multi-point framework that was circulated to the media last year was seen by Kyiv and its partners in Europe as being strongly biased in Moscow's direction.

This triggered a period of intensive diplomacy – with all sides trying to amend the proposal.

Last month, The Ukrainian government sent the US an new framework – as well as additional documents describing possible security guarantees and provisions for Ukraine's rebuilding, Zelensky stated.