The United Kingdom and France Will Dispatch Forces to Ukraine should a Peace Agreement is Reached

The London and Paris have signed a memorandum of understanding concerning the stationing of armed personnel in Ukraine if a peace agreement be struck with Russia, the UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has announced.

After negotiations with allied nations in Paris, he indicated that the two nations would "establish defense centers throughout Ukraine and build fortified facilities for arms and equipment" to discourage any subsequent invasion.

The partner countries also proposed that the United States would take the lead in verifying a truce.

The Kremlin has repeatedly cautioned that any foreign troops in Ukraine would be considered a "valid objective", but has so far not commented on this new announcement.

Background and Ongoing Hostilities

The Kremlin's head Vladimir Putin began a major offensive of Ukraine in February 2022, and Moscow presently occupies about 20% of Ukraine's sovereign soil.

"This is a vital part of our pledge to be alongside Ukraine for the long-term," commented the UK Prime Minister.

Heads of state and senior officials from the "Coalition of the Willing" participated in the Paris negotiations.

He stated at a shared media briefing, the Prime Minister further said: "It paves the way for the operational parameters under which allied and coalition forces could operate on Ukrainian soil, securing Ukraine's skies and seas, and restoring Ukraine's defense capabilities for the future."

The PM also stated that Britain would participate in any Washington-directed verification of a potential truce.

Security Guarantees and Negotiation Stances

Top American diplomat Steve Witkoff remarked that "lasting safety pledges and strong prosperity commitments are vital to a lasting peace" in Ukraine – alluding to a major condition made by Kyiv.

Witkoff noted the partner nations had "largely finished" their work on agreeing such guarantees "so that the people of Ukraine know that when this conflict ends, it ends permanently."

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

Separately, France's leader Emmanuel Macron declared that Ukraine's partners had made "major progress" at the meeting.

He said that "robust" security guarantees for Ukraine had been agreed in the event of a prospective truce.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that a "huge development" had been made in the talks, but added that he would only consider efforts to be "adequate" if they resulted in the cessation of the conflict.

Earlier, he indicated a peace deal was "mostly finalized". Agreeing on the remaining 10% would "shape the outcome of peace, the future of Ukraine and Europe".

Remaining Challenges

• Land and defense assurances have been at the heart of key disagreements for negotiators.
• The Russian President has often said that Ukraine's forces must withdraw from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Russia will occupy it, refusing any concession over how to finish the war.
• Zelensky has so far rejected ceding any land, but has proposed that Ukraine could move its troops to an agreed point – but only if Russia reciprocates.

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

The initial US-led comprehensive peace plan that was widely leaked to the media last year was seen by Kyiv and its EU supporters as being disproportionately favorable in Russia's direction.

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

Recently, Kyiv presented the US an revised proposal – as well as additional documents detailing potential security guarantees and provisions for Ukraine's rebuilding, the President said.