Britain and France to Deploy Forces to the Country in the event that a Peace Agreement is Finalized

The British and French governments have formalized a memorandum of understanding concerning the deployment of military forces in Ukraine in the event a peace deal be concluded with Moscow, the Prime Minister of Britain, Keir Starmer, has stated.

After discussions with Kyiv's partners in Paris, he noted that the allies would "establish defense centers throughout Ukraine and build fortified installations for arms and equipment" to discourage any subsequent attack.

The coalition members also proposed that the America would play the primary role in monitoring a ceasefire.

Moscow has repeatedly cautioned that any foreign troops in Ukraine would be considered a "acceptable aim", but has not yet responded on this recent declaration.

Background and Ongoing Conflict

Moscow's leader Vladimir Putin initiated a major offensive of Ukraine in the start of last year, and Moscow currently occupies approximately 20% of Ukraine's sovereign soil.

"This constitutes a crucial element of our vow to support Ukraine for the duration," stated the UK Prime Minister.

Top officials and senior officials from the "Coalition of the Willing" were involved in Tuesday's talks.

Addressing reporters at a joint press conference, Starmer added: "It creates the pathway for the legal framework under which allied and coalition forces could work on Ukrainian soil, securing Ukraine's skies and seas, and rebuilding Ukraine's defense capabilities for the years ahead."

The PM went on to say that London would take part in any US-led verification of a possible ceasefire.

Security Guarantees and Diplomatic Positions

Senior American diplomat Steve Witkoff stated that "long-term safety pledges and strong economic promises are vital to a permanent resolution" in Ukraine – mentioning a major condition made by Kyiv.

The negotiator said the coalition had "substantially agreed on" their work on agreeing such guarantees "so that the Ukrainian people know that when this conflict ends, it ends for good."

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

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

He added that "comprehensive" defense assurances for Kyiv had been settled upon in the case of a possible ceasefire.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a "major advance" had been made in Paris, but qualified that he would only view efforts to be "adequate" if they resulted in the cessation of the conflict.

Earlier, Zelensky indicated a peace agreement was "mostly finalized". Finalizing the outstanding 10% would "decide the outcome of the peace, the destiny of Ukraine and Europe".

Unresolved Issues

• Sovereign soil and defense assurances have been at the forefront of key disagreements for the parties involved.
• The Russian President has repeatedly warned that Ukrainian troops must retreat from all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Russia will take control, dismissing any middle ground over how to finish the war.
• Zelensky has so far excluded surrendering any land, but has proposed that Ukraine could withdraw its forces to an mutually accepted point – but only if Russia follows suit.

Russian forces currently holds about 75% of the Donetsk region and around 99% of the bordering Luhansk region. The pair of oblasts form the industrial region of Donbas.

The initial US-led 28-point peace plan that was widely leaked to the media last year was perceived by Kyiv and its European allies as being strongly biased in Russia's favor.

This triggered weeks of high-level negotiations – with the involved parties trying to revise the proposal.

Recently, Ukraine submitted the US an updated framework – as well as separate documents outlining prospective defense assurances and plans for Ukraine's recovery, he stated.