Britain and France Will Dispatch Forces to Ukraine if a Peace Agreement is Finalized

The UK and France have signed a statement of purpose concerning the positioning of military forces in the nation if a peace agreement be struck with Moscow, the UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has stated.

Following discussions with Kyiv's partners in the French capital, he said that the allies would "establish defense centers in various parts of Ukraine and build secure facilities for weapons and defense matériel" to prevent any subsequent invasion.

The allied nations also put forward that the United States would assume leadership in overseeing a truce.

The Kremlin has on multiple occasions cautioned that any foreign troops in Ukraine would be considered a "valid objective", but has so far not commented on this latest development.

The Situation and Ongoing Conflict

Russian President Vladimir Putin began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, and Russian forces at this time holds roughly 20% of Ukraine's sovereign soil.

"This constitutes a crucial element of our commitment to support Ukraine for the foreseeable future," commented the British leader.

National leaders and senior officials from the "Partner Group" were involved in the recent discussions.

Speaking at a joint press conference, he added: "It creates the pathway for the operational parameters under which British, French, and partner forces could function on Ukraine's territory, securing Ukraine's skies and seas, and regenerating Ukraine's military for the years ahead."

The British leader also stated that the UK would participate in any Washington-directed monitoring of a possible ceasefire.

Defense Assurances and Diplomatic Positions

Top Washington representative Steve Witkoff remarked that "durable security guarantees and substantial prosperity commitments are critical to a lasting peace" in Ukraine – alluding to a central condition made by the Ukrainian government.

Witkoff said the allies had "mostly completed" their work on establishing such guarantees "so that the citizens of Ukraine know that when this war ends, it ends forever."

Jared Kushner, ex-President Donald Trump's special envoy, also took part in the discussions.

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

He added that "comprehensive" safety pledges for Kyiv had been settled upon in the event of a potential truce.

Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky said that a "major step forward" had been made in Paris, but qualified that he would only consider efforts to be "sufficient" if they resulted in the end of the fighting.

Recently, Zelensky said a peace agreement was "largely prepared". Agreeing on the last 10% would "shape the outcome of peace, the destiny of Ukraine and Europe".

Outstanding Matters

• Territory and security guarantees have been at the heart of key disagreements for diplomats.
• Moscow has often said that Ukraine's forces must withdraw from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region or Russia will take control, rejecting any middle ground over how to finish the war.
• The Ukrainian President has to date excluded surrendering any territory, but has proposed that Ukraine could move its forces to an designated point – but only if Russia follows suit.

Russia presently occupies about 75% of the Donetsk oblast and some 99% of the adjacent Luhansk region. The areas form the area of Donbas.

The original US-led comprehensive framework that was widely leaked to the media last year was perceived by Kyiv and its partners in Europe as being strongly biased in Moscow's direction.

This sparked a period of focused discussions – with the involved parties trying to revise the draft.

Recently, The Ukrainian government sent the US an new proposal – as well as separate documents detailing possible security guarantees and plans for Ukraine's recovery, the President stated.