Britain and France Plan to Send Troops to the Country should a Ceasefire Accord is Agreed

The UK and France have inked a memorandum of understanding concerning the stationing of troops in the nation should a ceasefire be struck with Moscow, the British leader, Keir Starmer, has declared.

Following talks with Ukraine's allies in the French capital, he said that the UK and France would "set up defense centers in various parts of Ukraine and erect secure installations for weapons and defense matériel" to discourage any future invasion.

The partner countries also put forward that the America would play the primary role in verifying a halt in hostilities.

Moscow has consistently warned that any non-Ukrainian military in Ukraine would be considered a "legitimate target", but has not yet commented on this recent announcement.

Context and Ongoing War

The Kremlin's head Vladimir Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in the start of last year, and Moscow presently occupies roughly 20% of Ukraine's sovereign soil.

"This constitutes a crucial element of our vow to support Ukraine for the foreseeable future," remarked the UK Prime Minister.

Top officials and senior officials from the "Allied Coalition" took part in the recent discussions.

Speaking at a shared media briefing, he further said: "It paves the way for the juridical structure under which British, French, and partner forces could work on the ground in Ukraine, defending Ukraine's air and maritime domains, and restoring Ukraine's armed forces for the future."

The British leader went on to say that London would be involved in any US-led monitoring of a prospective cessation of hostilities.

Security Guarantees and Diplomatic Positions

Lead Washington representative Steve Witkoff remarked that "lasting defense assurances and substantial reconstruction vows are critical to a permanent resolution" in Ukraine – referring to a major condition made by the Ukrainian government.

Witkoff noted the partner nations had "substantially agreed on" their work on agreeing such guarantees "so that the Ukrainian people know that when this conflict ends, it ends forever."

Donald Trump's son-in-law, former American President Donald Trump's representative, also took part in the negotiations.

Meanwhile, France's leader Emmanuel Macron declared that Ukraine's allies had made "major advances" at the negotiations.

He noted that "comprehensive" security guarantees for Kyiv had been settled upon in the instance of a potential truce.

President Volodymyr Zelensky commented that a "significant advance" had been made in the negotiations, but qualified that he would only consider efforts to be "sufficient" if they led to the end of the conflict.

Recently, Zelensky said a peace agreement was "largely prepared". Settling the outstanding 10% would "shape the outcome of peace, the fate of Ukraine and Europe".

Unresolved Issues

• Sovereign soil and security guarantees have been at the forefront of key disagreements for negotiators.
• The Russian President has consistently stated that Ukrainian troops must pull back from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Russia will occupy it, refusing any concession over how to conclude the war.
• Zelensky has to date excluded ceding any territory, but has proposed that Ukraine could withdraw its troops to an agreed point – but only if Russia reciprocates.

Russian forces presently occupies approximately 75% of the Donetsk oblast and around 99% of the neighbouring Luhansk region. The two regions form the area of Donbas.

The initial US-led multi-point proposal that was widely leaked to the media last year was seen by Ukraine and its EU supporters as being heavily skewed in Russia's favor.

This triggered a period of intensive discussions – with Ukraine, the US and European leaders trying to revise the proposal.

Recently, Ukraine sent the US an revised 20-point plan – as well as separate documents outlining potential defense assurances and plans for Ukraine's recovery, the President added.