Britain and France Will Dispatch Military Personnel to Ukraine if a Peace Deal is Agreed

The UK and France have inked a statement of purpose concerning the deployment of armed personnel in Ukraine in the event a peace agreement be concluded with Moscow, the Prime Minister of Britain, Starmer, has stated.

After negotiations with Kyiv's partners in the French capital, he indicated that the allies would "establish military hubs throughout Ukraine and construct protected facilities for arms and military equipment" to deter any potential invasion.

The partner countries also proposed that the America would assume leadership in verifying a truce.

Moscow has on multiple occasions stated that any non-Ukrainian military in Ukraine would be considered a "legitimate target", but has as yet not issued a statement on this recent development.

Context and Ongoing War

Russian President Vladimir Putin began a comprehensive attack of Ukraine in February 2022, and Moscow currently occupies about 20% of Ukrainian territory.

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

Top officials and top officials from the "Coalition of the Willing" were involved in Tuesday's talks.

Speaking at a joint press conference, he noted: "It paves the way for the juridical structure under which allied and coalition forces could function on the ground in Ukraine, protecting Ukraine's air and maritime domains, and restoring Ukraine's defense capabilities for the future."

The British leader also stated that the UK would participate in any US-led monitoring of a prospective ceasefire.

Security Guarantees and Diplomatic Positions

Senior US negotiator Steve Witkoff said that "lasting security guarantees and robust prosperity commitments are critical to a enduring ceasefire" in Ukraine – referring to a central condition made by the Ukrainian government.

He said the coalition had "substantially agreed on" their work on establishing such pledges "in order that the people of Ukraine know that when this war ends, it ends forever."

Donald Trump's son-in-law, former American President Donald Trump's special envoy, also was involved in the talks.

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

He noted that "strong" security guarantees for the Ukrainian government had been agreed in the instance of a potential truce.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a "significant advance" had been made in the negotiations, but added that he would only consider efforts to be "enough" if they led to the end of the fighting.

Earlier, the Ukrainian leader indicated a peace deal was "largely prepared". Agreeing on the last 10% would "shape the future of the peace, the future of Ukraine and Europe".

Outstanding Matters

• Territory and security guarantees have been at the center of key disagreements for negotiators.
• The Russian President has often said that Ukraine's forces must retreat from the entirety of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Russia will take control, refusing any concession over how to conclude the war.
• The Ukrainian President has thus far ruled out giving up any territory, but has suggested that Ukraine could withdraw its forces to an mutually accepted point – but only if Russia reciprocates.

Moscow presently holds about 75% of the Donetsk oblast and some 99% of the bordering Luhansk. The pair of oblasts form the area of the Donbas.

The initial US-led comprehensive framework that was extensively reported to the media last year was viewed by Kyiv and its European allies as being strongly biased in Russia's direction.

This led to a period of high-level diplomacy – with the involved parties trying to revise the proposal.

Recently, Ukraine sent the US an revised 20-point plan – as well as additional documents describing possible security guarantees and plans for Ukraine's recovery, he added.