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

The London and Paris have signed a memorandum of understanding concerning the deployment of armed personnel in Ukraine should a peace agreement be concluded with Russia, the Prime Minister of Britain, Starmer, has stated.

Following discussions with allied nations in Paris, he noted that the two nations would "create military hubs throughout Ukraine and erect secure facilities for weapons and military equipment" to deter any subsequent incursion.

The partner countries also suggested that the US would play the primary role in overseeing a truce.

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

Background and Continuing War

The Kremlin's head Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Russia currently controls about 20% of the country's land.

"This is a vital part of our commitment to be alongside Ukraine for the foreseeable future," commented the UK Prime Minister.

National leaders and top officials from the "Coalition of the Willing" were involved in Tuesday's talks.

He stated at a shared media briefing, he further said: "It creates the pathway for the operational parameters under which allied and coalition forces could work on Ukrainian soil, securing Ukraine's skies and seas, and rebuilding Ukraine's defense capabilities for the years ahead."

The British leader also stated that the UK would be involved in any Washington-directed confirmation of a potential truce.

Defense Assurances and Negotiation Stances

Lead US negotiator Steve Witkoff remarked that "durable safety pledges and substantial prosperity commitments are vital to a enduring ceasefire" in Ukraine – mentioning a central condition made by the Ukrainian government.

He indicated the partner nations had "substantially agreed on" their work on agreeing such pledges "in order that the people of Ukraine know that when this war ends, it ends permanently."

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

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron declared that Ukraine's supporters had made "considerable advances" at the talks.

He noted that "comprehensive" security guarantees for Kyiv had been agreed in the instance of a prospective truce.

Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky commented that a "huge advance" had been made in Paris, but added that he would only consider efforts to be "adequate" if they culminated in the end of the conflict.

Earlier, he suggested a peace agreement was "90% ready". Finalizing the last 10% would "determine the fate of the agreement, the fate of Ukraine and Europe".

Unresolved Issues

• Territory and security guarantees have been at the heart of unresolved issues for the parties involved.
• Putin has repeatedly warned that Ukrainian troops must pull back from the entirety of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region or Russia will seize it, refusing any concession over how to conclude the war.
• The Ukrainian President has so far ruled out giving up any territory, but has suggested that Ukraine could move its troops to an agreed point – but only if Russia does the same.

Moscow currently controls about 75% of the Donetsk oblast and around 99% of the adjacent Luhansk region. The two regions form the area of the Donbas.

The initial US-led multi-point peace plan that was extensively reported to the media last year was perceived by Kyiv and its EU supporters as being heavily skewed in Russia's favor.

This sparked a period of focused negotiations – with all sides trying to amend the document.

Recently, The Ukrainian government submitted the US an revised 20-point plan – as well as additional documents detailing possible defense assurances and plans for Ukraine's recovery, Zelensky added.