The United Kingdom and France to Deploy Troops to Ukraine if a Peace Agreement is Agreed

The UK and France have signed a memorandum of understanding concerning the positioning of military forces in the nation if a peace agreement be made with Moscow, the British leader, Keir Starmer, has stated.

Subsequent to discussions with allied nations in the French capital, he said that the allies would "set up defense centers in various parts of Ukraine and construct secure facilities for arms and equipment" to prevent any subsequent invasion.

The allied nations also proposed that the US would play the primary role in monitoring a ceasefire.

The Kremlin has consistently stated that any external forces in Ukraine would be considered a "acceptable aim", but has as yet not commented on this latest announcement.

Background and Continuing Conflict

Moscow's leader Vladimir Putin began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, and Moscow currently occupies roughly 20% of the country's land.

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

National leaders and senior officials from the "Coalition of the Willing" participated in the Paris negotiations.

He stated at a combined announcement, Starmer noted: "It creates the pathway for the operational parameters under which allied and coalition forces could function on Ukrainian soil, protecting Ukraine's air and maritime domains, and restoring Ukraine's defense capabilities for the future."

The UK prime minister went on to say that London would be involved in any Washington-directed monitoring of a possible truce.

Security Guarantees and Negotiation Stances

Top American diplomat Steve Witkoff stated that "lasting safety pledges and strong reconstruction vows are vital to a enduring ceasefire" in Ukraine – alluding to a major condition made by the Ukrainian government.

Witkoff indicated the partner nations had "mostly completed" their work on finalizing such guarantees "so that the Ukrainian people know that when this war ends, it ends forever."

The former US envoy, ex-President Donald Trump's advisor, also participated in the negotiations.

At the same time, French President Emmanuel Macron declared that Ukraine's allies had made "significant headway" at the meeting.

He said that "strong" security guarantees for Kyiv had been reached in the case of a potential truce.

Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky commented that a "significant advance" had been made in Paris, but cautioned that he would only view efforts to be "adequate" if they led to the conclusion of the conflict.

Last week, he said a peace agreement was "90% ready". Finalizing the remaining 10% would "decide the fate of the agreement, the destiny of Ukraine and Europe".

Unresolved Issues

• Territory and defense assurances have been at the forefront of ongoing disputes for negotiators.
• Putin has consistently stated that Kyiv's military must pull back from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Russia will seize it, rejecting any concession over how to finish the war.
• Zelensky has so far excluded ceding any land, but has suggested that Ukraine could move its troops to an mutually accepted point – but only if Russia reciprocates.

Moscow currently holds approximately 75% of the Donetsk region and around 99% of the bordering Luhansk region. The two regions form the industrial region of Donbas.

The initial US-led comprehensive framework that was extensively reported to the media last year was viewed by Ukraine and its EU supporters as being disproportionately favorable in Moscow's favor.

This sparked weeks of focused diplomacy – with the involved parties trying to revise the draft.

The previous month, The Ukrainian government presented the US an new framework – as well as separate documents outlining possible security guarantees and arrangements for Ukraine's reconstruction, the President said.