UK and France to Deploy Forces to Ukraine should a Ceasefire Accord is Agreed
The UK and France have signed a declaration of intent concerning the deployment of military forces in Ukraine in the event a peace deal be concluded with Russia, the Prime Minister of Britain, Starmer, has stated.
After discussions with allied nations in the French capital, he noted that the allies would "set up operational bases throughout Ukraine and build protected facilities for weapons and defense matĂŠriel" to deter any potential attack.
The coalition members also suggested that the US would play the primary role in monitoring a truce.
The Kremlin has on multiple occasions stated that any foreign troops in Ukraine would be considered a "valid objective", but has not yet responded on this latest announcement.
The Situation and Ongoing Conflict
Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a major offensive of Ukraine in early 2022, and Moscow presently controls approximately 20% of Ukraine's sovereign soil.
"This constitutes a crucial element of our vow to be alongside Ukraine for the long-term," commented Starmer.
National leaders and high-ranking officials from the "Allied Coalition" took part in the Paris negotiations.
Speaking at a combined announcement, Starmer added: "It establishes the framework for the legal framework under which allied and coalition forces could function on the ground in Ukraine, securing Ukraine's skies and seas, and regenerating Ukraine's military for the future."
The British leader went on to say that the UK would be involved in any US-led confirmation of a possible cessation of hostilities.
Defense Assurances and Negotiation Stances
Senior US negotiator Steve Witkoff remarked that "long-term security guarantees and strong reconstruction vows are essential to a lasting peace" in Ukraine â alluding to a major requirement made by Ukraine.
The negotiator said the partner nations had "substantially agreed on" their work on finalizing such assurances "in order that the Ukrainian people know that when this conflict ends, it ends for good."
The former US envoy, US President Donald Trump's representative, also was involved in the talks.
Separately, President Macron Emmanuel Macron stated that Ukraine's supporters had made "major headway" at the negotiations.
He said that "strong" defense assurances for Kyiv had been agreed in the event of a possible truce.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented that a "significant step forward" had been made in the talks, but cautioned that he would only view efforts to be "adequate" if they culminated in the cessation of the fighting.
Earlier, Zelensky suggested a peace agreement was "largely prepared". Agreeing on the last 10% would "decide the fate of the peace, the future of Ukraine and Europe".
Outstanding Matters
- Sovereign soil and security guarantees have been at the center of key disagreements for diplomats.
- Moscow has repeatedly warned that Ukraine's forces must pull back from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Russia will seize it, refusing any concession over how to conclude the war.
- The Ukrainian President has thus far excluded surrendering any land, but has floated the idea that Ukraine could withdraw its forces to an designated point â but only if Russia does the same.
Russian forces currently controls about 75% of the Donetsk oblast and some 99% of the adjacent Luhansk. 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 Kyiv and its partners in Europe as being heavily skewed in Russia's direction.
This sparked a period of high-level discussions â with Ukraine, the US and European leaders trying to revise the proposal.
The previous month, The Ukrainian government submitted the US an new framework â as well as separate documents detailing potential defense assurances and provisions for Ukraine's recovery, Zelensky added.
