The United Kingdom and France to Deploy Troops to the Country if a Ceasefire Accord is Agreed

The British and French governments have signed a memorandum of understanding concerning the deployment of armed personnel in Ukraine in the event a ceasefire be struck with Moscow, the UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has declared.

After talks with Ukraine's allies in Paris, he indicated that the UK and France would "establish operational bases in various parts of Ukraine and erect protected facilities for weapons and equipment" to deter any future attack.

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

Moscow has repeatedly warned that any non-Ukrainian military in Ukraine would be considered a "acceptable aim", but has not yet issued a statement on this recent development.

Background and Ongoing War

Moscow's leader Vladimir Putin began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, and Russia presently controls approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory.

"This constitutes a crucial element of our commitment to support Ukraine for the foreseeable future," stated Starmer.

Heads of state and high-ranking officials from the "Coalition of the Willing" took part in Tuesday's talks.

Addressing reporters at a joint press conference, he added: "It paves the way for the operational parameters under which British, French, and partner forces could function on Ukraine's territory, securing Ukraine's skies and seas, and restoring Ukraine's military for the future."

The British leader added that Britain would be involved in any Washington-directed verification of a possible truce.

Defense Assurances and Diplomatic Positions

Senior US negotiator Steve Witkoff said that "durable safety pledges and substantial reconstruction vows are essential to a enduring ceasefire" in Ukraine – mentioning a central requirement made by Kyiv.

He said the coalition had "largely finished" their work on finalizing such guarantees "to ensure the citizens of Ukraine know that when this hostilities ends, it ends forever."

The former US envoy, former American President Donald Trump's representative, also participated in the talks.

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

He noted that "strong" safety pledges for Kyiv had been agreed in the instance of a prospective truce.

Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky stated that a "huge step forward" had been made in the negotiations, but cautioned that he would only consider efforts to be "adequate" if they culminated in the conclusion of the conflict.

Last week, Zelensky suggested a peace agreement was "largely prepared". Agreeing on the last 10% would "shape the fate of the peace, the future of Ukraine and Europe".

Unresolved Issues

• Land and defense assurances have been at the center of key disagreements for the parties involved.
• Putin has consistently stated that Kyiv's military must pull back from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Russia will take control, refusing any middle ground over how to finish the war.
• The Ukrainian President has so far excluded ceding any land, but has suggested that Ukraine could move its forces to an agreed point – but only if Russia follows suit.

Russia presently holds approximately 75% of the Donetsk oblast and around 99% of the bordering Luhansk region. The areas form the heartland of the Donbas.

The earlier US-led 28-point framework that was widely leaked to the media last year was viewed by Ukraine and its partners in Europe as being heavily skewed in Russia's favor.

This led to a period of focused diplomacy – with all sides trying to amend the document.

The previous month, Ukraine submitted the US an new framework – as well as additional documents describing potential security guarantees and provisions for Ukraine's recovery, Zelensky said.