Britain and France Will Dispatch Military Personnel to the Country in the event that a Peace Agreement is Finalized

The UK and France have formalized a memorandum of understanding concerning the stationing of military forces in the nation should a ceasefire be struck with Russia, the UK Prime Minister, Starmer, has declared.

After discussions with Kyiv's partners in the French capital, he noted that the UK and France would "establish operational bases across Ukraine and construct secure structures for military hardware and military equipment" to prevent any future invasion.

The partner countries also proposed that the US would assume leadership in overseeing a truce.

Russia has repeatedly cautioned that any foreign troops in Ukraine would be considered a "acceptable aim", but has so far not commented on this latest announcement.

Background and Ongoing Hostilities

The Kremlin's head Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in the start of last year, and Russia at this time occupies about 20% of Ukrainian territory.

"This represents an essential component of our vow to support Ukraine for the long-term," remarked the British leader.

Heads of state and top officials from the "Partner Group" participated in the Paris negotiations.

He stated at a joint press conference, he added: "It paves the way for the juridical structure under which British, French, and partner forces could work on Ukrainian soil, protecting Ukraine's airspace and waters, and regenerating Ukraine's armed forces for the future."

The UK prime minister added that the UK would be involved in any American-headed verification of a possible truce.

Defense Assurances and Diplomatic Positions

Lead American diplomat Steve Witkoff said that "durable safety pledges and strong economic promises are essential to a permanent resolution" in Ukraine – alluding to a central demand made by the Ukrainian government.

Witkoff indicated the partner nations had "mostly completed" their work on agreeing such assurances "so that the citizens of Ukraine know that when this war ends, it ends permanently."

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

Meanwhile, France's leader Emmanuel Macron stated that Ukraine's supporters had made "significant headway" at the meeting.

He noted that "robust" security guarantees for Kyiv had been reached in the case of a prospective ceasefire.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a "significant step forward" had been made in Paris, but qualified that he would only deem efforts to be "sufficient" if they resulted in the conclusion of the war.

Earlier, the Ukrainian leader said a peace agreement was "largely prepared". Finalizing the outstanding 10% would "determine the outcome of peace, the future of Ukraine and Europe".

Outstanding Matters

• Territory and defense assurances have been at the center of key disagreements for diplomats.
• The Russian President has repeatedly warned that Ukraine's forces must retreat from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Russia will take control, dismissing any middle ground over how to finish the war.
• Kyiv has so far rejected giving up any territory, but has proposed that Ukraine could move its forces to an mutually accepted point – but only if Russia reciprocates.

Russian forces presently occupies about 75% of the Donetsk oblast and some 99% of the adjacent Luhansk region. The two regions form the industrial region of the Donbas.

The original US-led 28-point framework that was circulated to the media last year was seen by Ukraine and its partners in Europe as being strongly biased in Russia's direction.

This sparked a period of high-level diplomacy – with all sides trying to adjust the proposal.

Recently, Kyiv submitted the US an new 20-point plan – as well as separate documents describing prospective security guarantees and arrangements for Ukraine's rebuilding, the President stated.