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

The British and French governments have formalized a memorandum of understanding concerning the deployment of armed personnel in Ukraine in the event a peace agreement be made with Russia, the British leader, Starmer, has declared.

After talks with allied nations in Paris, he indicated that the UK and France would "establish operational bases in various parts of Ukraine and build fortified facilities for military hardware and defense matériel" to discourage any subsequent attack.

The allied nations also suggested that the United States would take the lead in overseeing a ceasefire.

Moscow has on multiple occasions cautioned that any non-Ukrainian military in Ukraine would be considered a "legitimate target", but has as yet not issued a statement on this new announcement.

Background and Ongoing Hostilities

The Kremlin's head Vladimir Putin began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in the start of last year, and Russian forces at this time controls about 20% of Ukraine's sovereign soil.

"This represents an essential component of our commitment to support Ukraine for the long-term," stated the UK Prime Minister.

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

He stated at a shared media briefing, he noted: "It establishes the framework for the juridical structure under which allied and coalition forces could operate on Ukraine's territory, defending Ukraine's skies and seas, and regenerating Ukraine's military for the years ahead."

The UK prime minister added that Britain would be involved in any Washington-directed monitoring of a possible ceasefire.

Security Guarantees and Diplomatic Positions

Senior US negotiator Steve Witkoff remarked that "long-term security guarantees and substantial reconstruction vows are vital to a lasting peace" in Ukraine – alluding to a major condition made by Kyiv.

Witkoff indicated the partner nations had "largely finished" their work on establishing such guarantees "so that the people of Ukraine know that when this hostilities ends, it ends for good."

Donald Trump's son-in-law, ex-President Donald Trump's representative, also participated in the discussions.

Meanwhile, President Macron Emmanuel Macron declared that Ukraine's supporters had made "considerable progress" at the talks.

He added that "comprehensive" defense assurances for Ukraine had been reached in the case of a prospective truce.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a "major step forward" had been made in Paris, but added that he would only consider efforts to be "enough" if they resulted in the conclusion of the war.

Last week, he indicated a settlement was "90% ready". Finalizing the outstanding 10% would "shape the future of peace, the fate of Ukraine and Europe".

Remaining Challenges

• Land and security guarantees have been at the center of key disagreements for the parties involved.
• The Russian President has often said that Ukraine's forces must withdraw from the entirety of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region or Russia will take control, refusing any concession over how to conclude the war.
• Kyiv has to date ruled out ceding any territory, but has proposed that Ukraine could pull back its forces to an mutually accepted point – but only if Russia follows suit.

Russia presently controls approximately 75% of the Donetsk oblast and around 99% of the neighbouring Luhansk region. The two regions form the industrial region of Donbas.

The earlier US-led 28-point framework that was widely leaked to the media last year was viewed by Ukraine and its European allies as being disproportionately favorable in Moscow's direction.

This triggered a period of intensive diplomacy – with the involved parties trying to adjust the proposal.

The previous month, Ukraine presented the US an new proposal – as well as distinct documents describing possible security guarantees and arrangements for Ukraine's rebuilding, Zelensky added.