UK and France to Deploy Forces to Ukraine if a Peace Deal is Finalized

The London and Paris have signed a memorandum of understanding concerning the deployment of troops in Ukraine should a peace deal be made with Russia, the UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has declared.

Following talks with Ukraine's allies in Paris, he indicated that the allies would "establish operational bases in various parts of Ukraine and construct secure installations for arms and defense matériel" to discourage any subsequent incursion.

The coalition members also suggested that the US would take the lead in overseeing a ceasefire.

The Kremlin has repeatedly stated that any foreign troops in Ukraine would be considered a "legitimate target", but has so far not responded on this latest development.

Context and Continuing Hostilities

Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Moscow currently controls about 20% of the country's land.

"This constitutes a crucial element of our pledge to be alongside Ukraine for the foreseeable future," remarked the British leader.

Heads of state and senior officials from the "Allied Coalition" participated in the Paris negotiations.

He stated at a shared media briefing, the Prime Minister further said: "It establishes the framework for the juridical structure under which allied and coalition forces could work on Ukraine's territory, securing Ukraine's air and maritime domains, and restoring Ukraine's defense capabilities for the years ahead."

The British leader added that the UK would take part in any US-led confirmation of a potential ceasefire.

Security Guarantees and Negotiation Stances

Lead US negotiator Steve Witkoff said that "long-term defense assurances and substantial prosperity commitments are essential to a lasting peace" in Ukraine – referring to a key requirement made by Ukraine.

Witkoff indicated the coalition had "largely finished" their work on establishing such assurances "so that the citizens of Ukraine know that when this conflict ends, it ends for good."

Donald Trump's son-in-law, former American President Donald Trump's advisor, also was involved in the discussions.

At the same time, President Macron Emmanuel Macron stated that Ukraine's supporters had made "major headway" at the negotiations.

He noted that "strong" safety pledges for Ukraine had been reached in the instance of a possible truce.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a "major step forward" had been made in the negotiations, but qualified that he would only deem efforts to be "sufficient" if they resulted in the end of the conflict.

Recently, he said a peace deal was "largely prepared". Settling the last 10% would "decide the future of the peace, the future of Ukraine and Europe".

Remaining Challenges

• Territory and defense assurances have been at the heart of key disagreements for the parties involved.
• Moscow has repeatedly warned that Ukrainian troops must pull back from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region or Russia will take control, rejecting any compromise over how to end the war.
• Zelensky has to date rejected surrendering any land, but has proposed that Ukraine could withdraw its forces to an mutually accepted point – but only if Russia reciprocates.

Russia presently controls about 75% of the Donetsk oblast and around 99% of the neighbouring Luhansk. The areas form the area of Donbas.

The earlier US-led multi-point proposal that was widely leaked to the media last year was seen by Kyiv and its EU supporters as being disproportionately favorable in Moscow's direction.

This sparked a period of intensive discussions – with all sides trying to amend the proposal.

Last month, The Ukrainian government sent the US an updated proposal – as well as separate documents outlining possible security guarantees and plans for Ukraine's reconstruction, Zelensky added.