The United Kingdom and France Plan to Send Military Personnel to the Country should a Peace Deal is Finalized

The UK and France have inked a statement of purpose concerning the positioning of military forces in the nation in the event a peace agreement be made with Russia, the UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has declared.

Subsequent to negotiations with Kyiv's partners in the French capital, he indicated that the UK and France would "establish defense centers throughout Ukraine and erect protected facilities for arms and military equipment" to prevent any subsequent invasion.

The coalition members also proposed that the US would play the primary role in monitoring a ceasefire.

The Kremlin has repeatedly 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 declaration.

The Situation and Ongoing Hostilities

Russian President Vladimir Putin began a major offensive of Ukraine in February 2022, and Moscow presently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory.

"This is a vital part of our commitment to support Ukraine for the foreseeable future," stated the UK Prime Minister.

National leaders and top officials from the "Allied Coalition" were involved in the recent discussions.

He stated at a joint press conference, Starmer noted: "It establishes the framework for the legal framework under which allied and coalition forces could function on the ground in Ukraine, defending Ukraine's airspace and waters, and regenerating Ukraine's military for the time to come."

The British leader went on to say that London would participate in any US-led confirmation of a potential truce.

Protection Pledges and Diplomatic Positions

Senior US negotiator Steve Witkoff stated that "lasting defense assurances and substantial prosperity commitments are vital to a permanent resolution" in Ukraine – alluding to a central demand made by Kyiv.

He said the allies had "largely finished" their work on agreeing such pledges "to ensure the people of Ukraine know that when this hostilities ends, it ends for good."

The former US envoy, ex-President Donald Trump's special envoy, also took part in the talks.

At the same time, France's leader Emmanuel Macron said that Ukraine's allies had made "significant advances" at the negotiations.

He added that "strong" defense assurances for Ukraine had been agreed in the event of a possible ceasefire.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented that a "major advance" had been made in Paris, but qualified that he would only consider efforts to be "enough" if they resulted in the end of the war.

Earlier, Zelensky suggested a peace agreement was "90% ready". Settling the outstanding 10% would "decide the outcome of the peace, the future of Ukraine and Europe".

Remaining Challenges

• Land and security guarantees have been at the forefront of ongoing disputes for diplomats.
• The Russian President has repeatedly warned that Ukraine's forces must pull back from the entirety of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Russia will occupy it, dismissing any middle ground over how to conclude the war.
• The Ukrainian President has so far rejected giving up any land, but has suggested that Ukraine could pull back its forces to an mutually accepted point – but only if Russia follows suit.

Moscow currently controls about 75% of the Donetsk oblast and some 99% of the neighbouring Luhansk region. The pair of oblasts form the industrial region of Donbas.

The original US-led multi-point proposal that was extensively reported to the media last year was viewed by Ukraine and its EU supporters as being heavily skewed in Moscow's direction.

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

The previous month, Ukraine submitted the US an revised proposal – as well as additional documents detailing possible security guarantees and plans for Ukraine's reconstruction, the President added.