UK and France to Deploy Forces to the Country should a Peace Deal is Agreed

The UK and France have signed a memorandum of understanding concerning the deployment of military forces in Ukraine should a ceasefire be concluded with Moscow, the Prime Minister of Britain, Starmer, has stated.

After talks with Kyiv's partners in the French capital, he noted that the two nations would "establish operational bases throughout Ukraine and build secure facilities for arms and defense matériel" to discourage any future invasion.

The coalition members also put forward that the US would play the primary role in monitoring a halt in hostilities.

Russia has consistently warned that any foreign troops in Ukraine would be considered a "acceptable aim", but has so far not issued a statement on this new development.

Background and Continuing Hostilities

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

"This constitutes a crucial element of our pledge to stand with Ukraine for the long-term," remarked the British leader.

National leaders and senior officials from the "Partner Group" were involved in the Paris negotiations.

He stated at a combined announcement, Starmer noted: "It creates the pathway for the legal framework under which allied and coalition forces could operate on the ground in Ukraine, defending Ukraine's air and maritime domains, and regenerating Ukraine's defense capabilities for the time to come."

The British leader added that Britain would participate in any US-led confirmation of a prospective ceasefire.

Protection Pledges and Diplomatic Positions

Lead Washington representative Steve Witkoff stated that "long-term defense assurances and robust prosperity commitments are vital to a lasting peace" in Ukraine – alluding to a major requirement made by the Ukrainian government.

He indicated the coalition had "substantially agreed on" their work on establishing such assurances "in order that the citizens of Ukraine know that when this conflict ends, it ends forever."

Donald Trump's son-in-law, US President Donald Trump's advisor, also took part in the talks.

Separately, President Macron Emmanuel Macron said that Ukraine's allies had made "major progress" at the meeting.

He said that "comprehensive" defense assurances for Kyiv had been agreed in the instance of a potential ceasefire.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a "significant development" had been made in Paris, but cautioned that he would only view efforts to be "sufficient" if they resulted in the cessation of the conflict.

Recently, Zelensky suggested a peace agreement was "mostly finalized". Settling the outstanding 10% would "decide the outcome of peace, the fate of Ukraine and Europe".

Unresolved Issues

• Sovereign soil and security guarantees have been at the heart of unresolved issues for diplomats.
• The Russian President has consistently stated that Ukraine's forces must pull back from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region or Russia will occupy it, refusing any compromise over how to end the war.
• Zelensky has to date ruled out surrendering any land, but has proposed that Ukraine could withdraw its forces to an agreed point – but only if Russia does the same.

Moscow presently occupies about 75% of the Donetsk region and around 99% of the bordering Luhansk region. The pair of oblasts form the area of Donbas.

The earlier US-led comprehensive peace plan that was widely leaked to the media last year was perceived by Ukraine and its EU supporters as being strongly biased in Russia's direction.

This triggered a period of intensive negotiations – with the involved parties trying to revise the proposal.

Last month, Ukraine presented the US an revised 20-point plan – as well as additional documents detailing prospective defense assurances and arrangements for Ukraine's recovery, Zelensky stated.