UK and France to Deploy Forces to Ukraine should a Ceasefire Accord is Agreed

The UK and France have signed a memorandum of understanding concerning the stationing of troops in the nation in the event a ceasefire be struck with Russia, the UK Prime Minister, Starmer, has stated.

Subsequent to discussions with allied nations in Paris, he said that the UK and France would "create military hubs in various parts of Ukraine and construct secure structures for arms and military equipment" to prevent any potential incursion.

The allied nations also put forward that the United States would assume leadership in verifying a halt in hostilities.

Russia has on multiple occasions cautioned that any non-Ukrainian military in Ukraine would be considered a "acceptable aim", but has so far not responded on this recent development.

Context and Ongoing War

Moscow's leader Vladimir Putin began a major offensive of Ukraine in early 2022, and Russia currently occupies approximately 20% of Ukraine's sovereign soil.

"This represents an essential component of our pledge to support Ukraine for the foreseeable future," remarked Starmer.

Top officials and high-ranking officials from the "Coalition of the Willing" were involved in the recent discussions.

He stated at a shared media briefing, the Prime Minister noted: "It establishes the framework for the juridical structure under which allied and coalition forces could work on Ukrainian soil, securing Ukraine's airspace and waters, and restoring Ukraine's armed forces for the time to come."

The British leader went on to say that the UK would be involved in any US-led monitoring of a prospective truce.

Security Guarantees and Diplomatic Positions

Senior US negotiator Steve Witkoff remarked that "lasting security guarantees and strong reconstruction vows are vital to a lasting peace" in Ukraine – mentioning a major demand made by Kyiv.

Witkoff indicated the allies had "substantially agreed on" their work on finalizing such guarantees "so that the citizens of Ukraine know that when this war ends, it ends for good."

The former US envoy, ex-President Donald Trump's special envoy, also took part in the discussions.

At the same time, President Macron Emmanuel Macron stated that Ukraine's allies had made "significant progress" at the meeting.

He said that "strong" defense assurances for Ukraine had been settled upon in the instance of a potential truce.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented that a "significant step forward" had been made in the talks, but qualified that he would only view efforts to be "sufficient" if they culminated in the cessation of the conflict.

Earlier, Zelensky said a settlement was "largely prepared". Agreeing on the outstanding 10% would "shape the future of the agreement, the fate of Ukraine and Europe".

Unresolved Issues

• Sovereign soil and security guarantees have been at the forefront of ongoing disputes for negotiators.
• The Russian President has consistently stated that Ukrainian troops must withdraw from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Russia will occupy it, refusing any compromise over how to conclude the war.
• The Ukrainian President has so far excluded surrendering any land, but has suggested that Ukraine could withdraw its forces to an agreed point – but only if Russia does the same.

Russian forces currently occupies about 75% of the Donetsk oblast and around 99% of the neighbouring Luhansk region. The areas form the heartland of the Donbas.

The initial US-led multi-point framework that was circulated to the media last year was perceived by Ukraine and its EU supporters as being disproportionately favorable in Russia's favor.

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

The previous month, Ukraine presented the US an new proposal – as well as distinct documents describing potential defense assurances and plans for Ukraine's rebuilding, the President added.