UK and France Will Dispatch Troops to Ukraine in the event that a Peace Deal is Finalized

The London and Paris have formalized a memorandum of understanding concerning the positioning of military forces in Ukraine in the event a ceasefire be concluded with Moscow, the British leader, Starmer, has announced.

After talks with Kyiv's partners in the French capital, he said that the allies would "create operational bases across Ukraine and erect protected structures for weapons and defense matériel" to deter any subsequent attack.

The allied nations also proposed that the US would play the primary role in monitoring a truce.

Moscow has consistently cautioned that any external forces in Ukraine would be considered a "legitimate target", but has so far not issued a statement on this recent development.

Background and Continuing Conflict

The Kremlin's head Vladimir Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Moscow presently occupies roughly 20% of Ukraine's sovereign soil.

"This represents an essential component of our pledge to support Ukraine for the foreseeable future," remarked Starmer.

National leaders and top officials from the "Coalition of the Willing" participated in the recent discussions.

Speaking at a joint press conference, the Prime Minister added: "It paves the way for the juridical structure under which allied and coalition forces could operate on Ukrainian soil, defending Ukraine's skies and seas, and restoring Ukraine's armed forces for the years ahead."

The UK prime minister went on to say that Britain would participate in any US-led confirmation of a potential ceasefire.

Protection Pledges and Negotiation Stances

Lead US negotiator Steve Witkoff said that "long-term safety pledges and robust reconstruction vows are vital to a enduring ceasefire" in Ukraine – mentioning a key requirement made by the Ukrainian government.

The negotiator noted the allies had "substantially agreed on" their work on establishing such assurances "in order that the people of Ukraine know that when this hostilities ends, it ends for good."

Donald Trump's son-in-law, US President Donald Trump's representative, also was involved in the talks.

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

He said that "robust" safety pledges for Kyiv had been reached in the instance of a potential ceasefire.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented that a "huge development" had been made in the talks, but cautioned that he would only view efforts to be "adequate" if they culminated in the conclusion of the conflict.

Earlier, Zelensky indicated a peace deal was "largely prepared". Agreeing on the outstanding 10% would "determine the fate of the peace, the destiny of Ukraine and Europe".

Outstanding Matters

• Sovereign soil and defense assurances have been at the center of key disagreements for negotiators.
• The Russian President has consistently stated that Kyiv's military must pull back from the entirety of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region or Russia will take control, refusing any middle ground over how to conclude the war.
• Kyiv has so far excluded ceding any land, but has proposed that Ukraine could move its troops to an mutually accepted point – but only if Russia does the same.

Russian forces currently holds about 75% of the Donetsk region and some 99% of the bordering Luhansk. The pair of oblasts form the heartland of Donbas.

The initial US-led comprehensive peace plan that was widely leaked to the media last year was viewed by Kyiv and its partners in Europe as being strongly biased in Russia's direction.

This sparked a period of focused diplomacy – with all sides trying to revise the draft.

Recently, Ukraine presented the US an new proposal – as well as separate documents outlining prospective security guarantees and arrangements for Ukraine's recovery, the President said.