Britain and France Will Dispatch Troops to Ukraine in the event that a Peace Deal is Agreed

The London and Paris have formalized a statement of purpose concerning the positioning of troops in the nation in the event a peace agreement be concluded with Moscow, the British leader, Sir Keir Starmer, has announced.

Following discussions with allied nations in Paris, he said that the two nations would "set up operational bases in various parts of Ukraine and construct protected installations for military hardware and equipment" to deter any potential incursion.

The allied nations also suggested that the US would play the primary role in verifying a halt in hostilities.

Moscow has consistently cautioned that any non-Ukrainian military in Ukraine would be considered a "legitimate target", but has as yet not responded on this latest development.

Background and Ongoing Hostilities

Moscow's leader Vladimir Putin began a comprehensive attack of Ukraine in February 2022, and Russia currently occupies about 20% of Ukrainian territory.

"This constitutes a crucial element of our vow to stand with Ukraine for the long-term," stated the UK Prime Minister.

National leaders and senior officials from the "Allied Coalition" were involved in the recent discussions.

Addressing reporters at a combined announcement, he noted: "It creates the pathway for the juridical structure under which allied and coalition forces could work on Ukrainian soil, securing Ukraine's air and maritime domains, and regenerating Ukraine's armed forces for the time to come."

The British leader went on to say that Britain would participate in any US-led monitoring of a possible cessation of hostilities.

Protection Pledges and Diplomatic Positions

Lead Washington representative Steve Witkoff stated that "durable safety pledges and substantial reconstruction vows are vital to a enduring ceasefire" in Ukraine – referring to a central condition made by Kyiv.

The negotiator said the allies had "mostly completed" their work on agreeing such assurances "so that the people of Ukraine know that when this hostilities ends, it ends for good."

Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's representative, also took part in the negotiations.

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

He added that "robust" security guarantees for the Ukrainian government had been agreed in the instance of a possible truce.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that a "major advance" had been made in the negotiations, but qualified that he would only consider efforts to be "enough" if they resulted in the conclusion of the conflict.

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

Unresolved Issues

• Sovereign soil and defense assurances have been at the heart of unresolved issues for the parties involved.
• The Russian President has consistently stated that Kyiv's military must withdraw from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Russia will seize it, rejecting any concession over how to conclude the war.
• Kyiv has so far excluded giving up any land, but has floated the idea that Ukraine could pull back its troops to an agreed point – but only if Russia follows suit.

Russian forces presently holds about 75% of the Donetsk oblast and some 99% of the neighbouring Luhansk region. The pair of oblasts form the heartland of the Donbas.

The earlier US-led multi-point framework that was extensively reported to the media last year was perceived by Kyiv and its EU supporters as being strongly biased in Russia's favor.

This sparked a period of intensive diplomacy – with Ukraine, the US and European leaders trying to amend the proposal.

Recently, The Ukrainian government sent the US an revised framework – as well as distinct documents detailing possible security guarantees and plans for Ukraine's recovery, he added.