UK and France to Deploy Military Personnel to Ukraine should a Peace Agreement is Reached

The UK and France have signed a declaration of intent concerning the deployment of armed personnel in Ukraine if a peace agreement be concluded with Russia, the UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has stated.

After talks with Kyiv's partners in the French capital, he said that the allies would "establish operational bases across Ukraine and erect protected facilities for arms and equipment" to discourage any potential attack.

The allied nations also proposed that the America would assume leadership in verifying a truce.

The Kremlin has repeatedly cautioned that any foreign troops in Ukraine would be considered a "legitimate target", but has as yet not commented on this new declaration.

Context and Ongoing Hostilities

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a major offensive of Ukraine in the start of last year, and Russia currently controls roughly 20% of Ukraine's sovereign soil.

"This is a vital part of our vow to support Ukraine for the duration," stated the UK Prime Minister.

Heads of state and top officials from the "Partner Group" were involved in Tuesday's talks.

He stated at a combined announcement, the Prime Minister further said: "It establishes the framework for the juridical structure under which allied and coalition forces could work on Ukraine's territory, protecting Ukraine's airspace and waters, and restoring Ukraine's armed forces for the time to come."

The UK prime minister went on to say that Britain would be involved in any US-led verification of a potential truce.

Security Guarantees and Negotiation Stances

Lead Washington representative Steve Witkoff said that "lasting security guarantees and strong economic promises are critical to a permanent resolution" in Ukraine – referring to a central requirement made by Ukraine.

Witkoff said the coalition had "mostly completed" their work on finalizing such assurances "to ensure the people of Ukraine know that when this hostilities ends, it ends forever."

Jared Kushner, former American President Donald Trump's special envoy, also was involved in the negotiations.

At the same time, President Macron Emmanuel Macron declared that Ukraine's supporters had made "major advances" at the negotiations.

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

Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky said that a "huge step forward" had been made in the talks, but added that he would only consider efforts to be "adequate" if they resulted in the conclusion of the conflict.

Last week, the Ukrainian leader suggested a peace agreement was "largely prepared". Finalizing the last 10% would "decide the future of peace, the fate of Ukraine and Europe".

Outstanding Matters

• Territory and security guarantees have been at the heart of unresolved issues for diplomats.
• Putin has often said that Kyiv's military must withdraw from the entirety of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Russia will seize it, rejecting any middle ground over how to finish the war.
• Zelensky has thus far rejected ceding any territory, but has floated the idea that Ukraine could withdraw its forces to an designated point – but only if Russia follows suit.

Russia presently controls about 75% of the Donetsk oblast and some 99% of the adjacent Luhansk. The pair of oblasts form the industrial region of Donbas.

The earlier US-led comprehensive proposal that was widely leaked to the media last year was viewed by Ukraine and its partners in Europe as being disproportionately favorable in Russia's direction.

This led to weeks of high-level discussions – with Ukraine, the US and European leaders trying to revise the document.

The previous month, Kyiv sent the US an revised framework – as well as distinct documents detailing possible defense assurances and arrangements for Ukraine's rebuilding, he stated.