UK and France Plan to Send Forces to the Country should a Peace Agreement is Finalized

The London and Paris have formalized a memorandum of understanding concerning the stationing of military forces in the nation if a peace agreement be concluded with Russia, the UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has announced.

Subsequent to negotiations with allied nations in the French capital, he noted that the two nations would "establish military hubs in various parts of Ukraine and construct fortified structures for arms and military equipment" to discourage any future invasion.

The coalition members also suggested that the US would play the primary role in overseeing a halt in hostilities.

The Kremlin has on multiple occasions warned that any external forces in Ukraine would be considered a "legitimate target", but has so far not issued a statement on this recent announcement.

The Situation and Ongoing Conflict

Moscow's leader Vladimir Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in the start of last year, and Russia currently occupies approximately 20% of the country's land.

"This represents an essential component of our commitment to stand with Ukraine for the duration," commented the UK Prime Minister.

Heads of state 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 further said: "It establishes the framework for the juridical structure under which allied and coalition forces could work on the ground in Ukraine, defending Ukraine's skies and seas, and restoring Ukraine's armed forces for the years ahead."

The British leader added that Britain would be involved in any Washington-directed verification of a prospective cessation of hostilities.

Defense Assurances and Diplomatic Positions

Lead US negotiator Steve Witkoff said that "durable defense assurances and strong prosperity commitments are essential to a permanent resolution" in Ukraine – alluding to a major condition made by Kyiv.

Witkoff indicated the allies had "mostly completed" their work on finalizing such pledges "in order that the Ukrainian people know that when this war ends, it ends permanently."

Jared Kushner, former American President Donald Trump's special envoy, also took part in the discussions.

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

He added that "comprehensive" security guarantees for the Ukrainian government had been settled upon in the case of a prospective ceasefire.

President Volodymyr Zelensky commented that a "major development" had been made in the talks, but qualified that he would only view efforts to be "sufficient" if they led to the cessation of the war.

Earlier, he suggested a settlement was "largely prepared". Settling the last 10% would "decide the outcome of the agreement, the destiny of Ukraine and Europe".

Unresolved Issues

• Territory and security guarantees have been at the heart of ongoing disputes for the parties involved.
• The Russian President has consistently stated that Kyiv's military must retreat from the entirety of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region or Russia will seize it, rejecting any concession over how to conclude the war.
• Zelensky has to date rejected giving up any territory, but has proposed that Ukraine could pull back its troops to an agreed point – but only if Russia follows suit.

Moscow presently occupies approximately 75% of the Donetsk region and some 99% of the bordering Luhansk region. The pair of oblasts form the industrial region of the Donbas.

The initial US-led comprehensive peace plan that was extensively reported to the media last year was viewed by Kyiv and its EU supporters as being strongly biased in Russia's direction.

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

Last month, The Ukrainian government submitted the US an updated proposal – as well as separate documents detailing prospective defense assurances and arrangements for Ukraine's reconstruction, Zelensky added.