The United Kingdom and France Plan to Send Military Personnel to Ukraine if a Peace Agreement is Agreed

The British and French governments have inked a memorandum of understanding concerning the positioning of troops in the nation should a ceasefire be concluded with Russia, the UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has declared.

Following discussions with allied nations in Paris, he indicated that the allies would "establish operational bases across Ukraine and construct secure structures for arms and equipment" to discourage any subsequent invasion.

The coalition members also put forward that the America would assume leadership in monitoring a truce.

Moscow has consistently cautioned that any non-Ukrainian military in Ukraine would be considered a "acceptable aim", but has as yet not responded on this latest announcement.

Context and Continuing War

Moscow's leader Vladimir Putin began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in the start of last year, and Russian forces at this time controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory.

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

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

He stated at a joint press conference, the Prime Minister further said: "It establishes the framework for the juridical structure under which allied and coalition forces could work on the ground in Ukraine, securing Ukraine's airspace and waters, and restoring Ukraine's defense capabilities for the time to come."

The PM went on to say that London would take part in any US-led confirmation of a prospective truce.

Defense Assurances and Diplomatic Positions

Senior US negotiator Steve Witkoff said that "lasting defense assurances and robust prosperity commitments are vital to a permanent resolution" in Ukraine – alluding to a key condition made by Kyiv.

Witkoff noted the coalition had "largely finished" their work on finalizing such assurances "to ensure the Ukrainian people know that when this conflict ends, it ends forever."

Donald Trump's son-in-law, US President Donald Trump's special envoy, also participated in the negotiations.

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

He said that "strong" defense assurances for Ukraine had been agreed in the case of a possible truce.

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

Last week, Zelensky suggested a settlement was "90% ready". Finalizing the remaining 10% would "decide the future of peace, the destiny of Ukraine and Europe".

Outstanding Matters

• Land and security guarantees have been at the center of ongoing disputes for negotiators.
• Moscow has often said that Kyiv's military must withdraw from the entirety of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region or Russia will occupy it, dismissing any concession over how to end the war.
• Zelensky has so far excluded surrendering any territory, but has floated the idea that Ukraine could move its troops to an mutually accepted point – but only if Russia follows suit.

Russia currently occupies about 75% of the Donetsk region and some 99% of the neighbouring Luhansk. The pair of oblasts form the heartland of Donbas.

The initial US-led 28-point framework that was circulated to the media last year was perceived by Kyiv and its European allies as being strongly biased in Moscow's direction.

This sparked a period of intensive negotiations – with all sides trying to revise the proposal.

The previous month, Kyiv submitted the US an new 20-point plan – as well as distinct documents outlining potential security guarantees and provisions for Ukraine's recovery, Zelensky added.