UK and France plan to deploy troops to Ukraine if a peace agreement is reached

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said Britain and France have agreed in principle to deploy troops to Ukraine should a peace agreement be reached with Russia.

After talks with Ukraine’s allies in Paris, he said the UK and France would “establish military bases in Ukraine” to deter future invasions, while French President Emmanuel Macron later said thousands of troops could be deployed.

The allies also largely agreed on strong security guarantees for Ukraine and proposed that the US take the lead in monitoring a ceasefire. But the key issue of the region is still being debated.

Russia has repeatedly warned that any foreign troops in Ukraine would be “legitimate targets.” Moscow has not yet commented on the announcements made in the French capital.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Moscow currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory.

Tuesday’s talks in Paris were attended by heads of state and top officials from the “Coalition of the Willing.”

Speaking at a joint press conference after the meeting, Starmer said, “We have signed a declaration of intent to deploy forces in Ukraine in the event of a peace agreement.” This is an important part of our commitment to stand by Ukraine for the long term.

“It paves the way for a legal framework under which British, French, and partner forces can operate on Ukrainian soil, secure Ukraine’s skies and seas, and rebuild Ukraine’s armed forces for the future.”

The UK Prime Minister added that London would participate in any US-led verification of a potential ceasefire. Following talks with Ukraine’s allies in Paris, he said the UK and France would “establish military bases in Ukraine” to deter future aggression, while French President Emmanuel Macron later said thousands of troops could be deployed.

The allies also largely agreed on strong security guarantees for Ukraine and proposed that the US take the lead in monitoring the ceasefire. But the key issue of the region is still being debated.

Russia has repeatedly warned that any foreign troops in Ukraine would be a “legitimate target.”

Moscow has not yet commented on the announcements made in the French capital.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Moscow currently controls around 20% of Ukrainian territory.

Tuesday’s talks in Paris were attended by heads of state and senior officials from the “Coalition of the Willing.”

Speaking at a joint press conference after the meeting, Starmer said, “We have signed a declaration of intent to deploy forces in Ukraine in the event of a peace agreement.” This is an important part of our commitment to stand by Ukraine for the long term.

“It paves the way for a legal framework under which British, French, and partner forces can operate on Ukrainian soil, secure Ukraine’s skies and seas, and revitalize Ukraine’s armed forces for the future.”

The UK Prime Minister added that London would participate in any US-led verification of a potential ceasefire.

US top negotiator Steve Witkoff said that “firm security guarantees and robust promises of prosperity are essential for lasting peace” in Ukraine – echoing a key demand from Kyiv.

Witkoff said that allied nations had “largely completed” work on agreeing to security protocols “so that the Ukrainian people know that when this [war] is over, it’s over for good.”

US President Donald Trump’s special envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, said that after a deal, it was crucial for the Ukrainian people to know that “real backstops” were in place to ensure the war “doesn’t happen again.”

Meanwhile, President Macron said that Ukraine’s partners had made “considerable progress” in the negotiations. He said that agreement had been reached on “robust” security guarantees for Kyiv in the event of a potential ceasefire.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that a “big step” had been taken in Paris, but he also said that he would only consider the efforts “sufficient” when they resulted in an end to the war.

What Ukraine calls security “guarantees” and what US officials have described as security “protocols” could leave some wiggle room for Trump in terms of coming to Kyiv’s defense in the event of a future Russian attack – but there is little doubt that Zelenskyy feels he and his European partners have secured a crucial concession from Washington.

We received very little, if any, new information about where a future ceasefire line would be drawn and what territory, currently occupied by Russian forces, Ukraine would agree to surrender.

This remains a difficult pill to swallow for many Ukrainians, especially as Russia continues to attack Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure on a daily basis.

But as winter approaches and harsh winds blow from the east, Zelensky knows that the only alternative to a ceasefire and subsequent peace agreement is another costly, devastating winter of war, with inevitable loss of life, the impact of which will be far greater on Ukraine than on Russia.

The Ukrainian president clearly hopes that the guarantee of American monitoring, a multinational force on Ukrainian soil, and increased weapons support for his armed forces will convince a sometimes skeptical population that making the case for peace is the right course of action, a case that will be further strengthened by a growing international coalition.

However, at the end of the Paris press conference, Zelensky acknowledged that Tuesday’s “milestone” does not necessarily guarantee peace. Real progress still requires Russian support, and Moscow has been notably silent in recent days regarding diplomatic efforts to end the war.

Putin is known to oppose the prospect of a European-led international force in any disputed territory, and he will be reluctant to halt his army’s, albeit slow, advance if Moscow’s war aims are not met.

But there is undoubtedly growing pressure on both sides to compromise and end the fighting. Last week, Zelensky said that a peace agreement was “90% ready.” Agreement on the remaining 10% would “determine the fate of peace, Ukraine, and Europe.”

Among the unresolved issues for negotiators, territory and security guarantees remain paramount.

Putin has repeatedly warned that Ukrainian troops must withdraw from eastern Donbas, or Russia will seize it. He has ruled out any agreement on a formula for ending the war.

Zelensky has so far refused to cede any territory but has said that Ukraine could withdraw its troops to designated positions – but only if Russia does the same. Moscow currently controls approximately 75% of the Donetsk region and nearly 99% of neighboring Luhansk. These two regions make up the Donbas industrial area.

A 28-point peace plan led by the US, which was widely leaked to the media last year, was considered by Kyiv and its European partners to be heavily biased in favor of Russia.

This led to several weeks of high-level diplomacy, with Ukrainian, US, and European leaders attempting to modify the draft.

Zelenskyy said that last month Kyiv sent the US an updated 20-point plan, along with separate documents outlining potential security guarantees and provisions for Ukraine’s reconstruction.