UK and France Plan to Send Troops to Ukraine in the event that a Ceasefire Accord is Finalized

The UK and France have signed a statement of purpose concerning the deployment of troops in Ukraine in the event a peace agreement be made with Russia, the UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has announced.

Following discussions with Ukraine's allies in Paris, he indicated that the two nations would "establish operational bases throughout Ukraine and build secure installations for military hardware and military equipment" to prevent any future attack.

The allied nations also put forward that the US would play the primary role in monitoring a ceasefire.

The Kremlin has on multiple occasions warned that any foreign troops in Ukraine would be considered a "legitimate target", but has as yet not commented on this new declaration.

The Situation and Ongoing Hostilities

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a comprehensive attack of Ukraine in early 2022, and Moscow at this time holds approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory.

"This constitutes a crucial element of our vow to stand with Ukraine for the foreseeable future," stated the UK Prime Minister.

Heads of state and senior officials from the "Partner Group" took part in Tuesday's talks.

Speaking at a shared media briefing, the Prime Minister noted: "It creates the pathway for the juridical structure under which allied and coalition forces could function on the ground in Ukraine, securing Ukraine's air and maritime domains, and regenerating Ukraine's armed forces for the years ahead."

The British leader also stated that London would participate in any American-headed monitoring of a potential cessation of hostilities.

Defense Assurances and Negotiation Stances

Top US negotiator Steve Witkoff stated that "lasting security guarantees and substantial reconstruction vows are critical to a lasting peace" in Ukraine – mentioning a key demand made by the Ukrainian government.

He noted the coalition had "largely finished" their work on establishing such assurances "to ensure the citizens of Ukraine know that when this war ends, it ends permanently."

Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's representative, also took part in the talks.

Meanwhile, President Macron Emmanuel Macron said that Ukraine's partners had made "considerable progress" at the negotiations.

He noted that "robust" security guarantees for the Ukrainian government had been reached in the case of a possible ceasefire.

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

Recently, he said a peace agreement was "mostly finalized". Settling the outstanding 10% would "decide the fate of peace, the future of Ukraine and Europe".

Unresolved Issues

• Sovereign soil and defense assurances have been at the forefront of ongoing disputes for the parties involved.
• Putin has often said that Ukraine's forces must pull back from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Russia will occupy it, dismissing any compromise over how to finish the war.
• Zelensky has thus far rejected surrendering any territory, but has floated the idea that Ukraine could move its forces to an designated point – but only if Russia follows suit.

Russia currently holds about 75% of the Donetsk region and some 99% of the neighbouring Luhansk region. The two regions form the heartland of Donbas.

The initial US-led comprehensive framework that was widely leaked to the media last year was viewed by Kyiv and its EU supporters as being disproportionately favorable in Moscow's favor.

This triggered a period of high-level negotiations – with the involved parties trying to revise the draft.

The previous month, The Ukrainian government sent the US an revised proposal – as well as additional documents outlining possible security guarantees and arrangements for Ukraine's recovery, Zelensky stated.