UK and France Will Dispatch Forces to the Country if a Ceasefire Accord is Finalized

The London and Paris have signed a memorandum of understanding concerning the stationing of troops in Ukraine if a peace agreement be concluded with Moscow, the British leader, Starmer, has announced.

Following negotiations with Ukraine's allies in the French capital, he said that the two nations would "set up military hubs in various parts of Ukraine and build secure structures for arms and equipment" to discourage any potential invasion.

The allied nations also put forward that the US would play the primary role in verifying a ceasefire.

Moscow has repeatedly stated that any foreign troops in Ukraine would be considered a "valid objective", but has not yet commented on this latest announcement.

Background and Ongoing War

Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a major offensive of Ukraine in the start of last year, and Russian forces currently occupies approximately 20% of the country's land.

"This is a vital part of our pledge to be alongside Ukraine for the long-term," stated the UK Prime Minister.

National leaders and high-ranking officials from the "Allied Coalition" were involved in Tuesday's talks.

He stated at a shared media briefing, he further said: "It creates the pathway for the legal framework under which allied and coalition forces could operate on the ground in Ukraine, protecting Ukraine's air and maritime domains, and restoring Ukraine's military for the time to come."

The UK prime minister went on to say that the UK would participate in any American-headed confirmation of a possible cessation of hostilities.

Security Guarantees and Diplomatic Positions

Lead US negotiator Steve Witkoff said that "long-term security guarantees and strong reconstruction vows are vital to a enduring ceasefire" in Ukraine – referring to a major condition made by Ukraine.

The negotiator said the coalition had "substantially agreed on" their work on establishing such pledges "to ensure the Ukrainian people know that when this hostilities ends, it ends for good."

The former US envoy, former American President Donald Trump's special envoy, also was involved in the talks.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Ukraine's partners had made "considerable headway" at the talks.

He said that "robust" defense assurances for Ukraine had been reached in the case of a potential truce.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that a "major advance" had been made in the negotiations, but cautioned that he would only consider efforts to be "sufficient" if they culminated in the end of the fighting.

Recently, he said a peace deal was "90% ready". Finalizing the remaining 10% would "shape the fate of peace, the destiny of Ukraine and Europe".

Remaining Challenges

• Land and defense assurances have been at the heart of key disagreements for the parties involved.
• The Russian President has consistently stated that Ukrainian troops must pull back from the entirety of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region or Russia will seize it, refusing any concession over how to conclude the war.
• Kyiv has to date excluded ceding any territory, but has floated the idea that Ukraine could pull back its forces to an mutually accepted point – but only if Russia follows suit.

Russia presently occupies approximately 75% of the Donetsk oblast and around 99% of the bordering Luhansk. The areas form the heartland of Donbas.

The earlier US-led multi-point proposal that was extensively reported to the media last year was viewed by Kyiv and its partners in Europe as being disproportionately favorable in Russia's favor.

This triggered weeks of high-level diplomacy – with Ukraine, the US and European leaders trying to adjust the document.

The previous month, Kyiv presented the US an updated 20-point plan – as well as additional documents outlining possible security guarantees and provisions for Ukraine's rebuilding, the President stated.