UK and France Will Dispatch Forces to the Country if a Peace Deal is Finalized

The London and Paris have formalized a declaration of intent concerning the positioning of military forces in Ukraine if a peace agreement be concluded with Moscow, the British leader, Sir Keir Starmer, has declared.

After talks with Kyiv's partners in Paris, he indicated that the allies would "establish operational bases throughout Ukraine and build protected structures for military hardware and defense matériel" to deter any future incursion.

The partner countries also suggested that the United States would play the primary role in overseeing a halt in hostilities.

Moscow has consistently cautioned that any non-Ukrainian military in Ukraine would be considered a "acceptable aim", but has so far not issued a statement on this new development.

Context and Ongoing War

Moscow's leader Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in the start of last year, and Russian forces at this time controls about 20% of the country's land.

"This constitutes a crucial element of our pledge to support Ukraine for the duration," stated the UK Prime Minister.

National leaders and senior officials from the "Coalition of the Willing" took part in the Paris negotiations.

Addressing reporters at a joint press conference, he further said: "It paves the way for the legal framework under which allied and coalition forces could work on Ukrainian soil, securing Ukraine's airspace and waters, and rebuilding Ukraine's defense capabilities for the time to come."

The PM went on to say that the UK would be involved in any US-led monitoring of a potential truce.

Protection Pledges and Diplomatic Positions

Lead US negotiator Steve Witkoff stated that "durable defense assurances and robust reconstruction vows are essential to a permanent resolution" in Ukraine – mentioning a key demand made by Kyiv.

Witkoff indicated the allies had "substantially agreed on" their work on establishing such guarantees "so that the citizens of Ukraine know that when this hostilities ends, it ends permanently."

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

Meanwhile, France's leader Emmanuel Macron said that Ukraine's partners had made "significant progress" at the meeting.

He said that "comprehensive" safety pledges for Ukraine had been settled upon in the instance of a possible truce.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a "significant step forward" had been made in the talks, but cautioned that he would only deem efforts to be "enough" if they culminated in the end of the fighting.

Earlier, the Ukrainian leader suggested a settlement was "largely prepared". Agreeing on the outstanding 10% would "decide the outcome of the agreement, the destiny of Ukraine and Europe".

Outstanding Matters

• Sovereign soil and security guarantees have been at the heart of ongoing disputes for the parties involved.
• The Russian President has consistently stated that Ukrainian troops must retreat from the entirety of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Russia will take control, rejecting any middle ground over how to conclude the war.
• Zelensky has to date rejected giving up any land, but has proposed that Ukraine could withdraw its forces to an designated point – but only if Russia follows suit.

Russia presently occupies approximately 75% of the Donetsk oblast and some 99% of the adjacent Luhansk. The two regions form the heartland of Donbas.

The earlier US-led 28-point framework that was extensively reported to the media last year was seen by Kyiv and its European allies as being heavily skewed in Moscow's favor.

This sparked a period of high-level discussions – with Ukraine, the US and European leaders trying to revise the draft.

Recently, Kyiv presented the US an revised 20-point plan – as well as distinct documents outlining prospective security guarantees and arrangements for Ukraine's recovery, Zelensky added.