UK and France to Deploy Troops to Ukraine in the event that a Peace Agreement is Reached
The UK and France have inked a statement of purpose concerning the stationing of troops in Ukraine if a peace deal be struck with Moscow, the UK Prime Minister, Starmer, has declared.
Subsequent to discussions with allied nations in the French capital, he noted that the allies would "create military hubs across Ukraine and construct secure structures for military hardware and defense matériel" to prevent any potential attack.
The coalition members also proposed that the America would assume leadership in overseeing a truce.
The Kremlin has on multiple occasions stated that any foreign troops in Ukraine would be considered a "legitimate target", but has as yet not commented on this latest declaration.
Background and Continuing War
Moscow's leader Vladimir Putin began a comprehensive attack of Ukraine in early 2022, and Moscow at this time holds about 20% of Ukrainian territory.
"This is a vital part of our commitment to support Ukraine for the foreseeable future," commented the British leader.
National leaders and senior officials from the "Coalition of the Willing" participated in the Paris negotiations.
Speaking at a combined announcement, the Prime Minister further said: "It creates the pathway for the juridical structure under which British, French, and partner forces could operate on the ground in Ukraine, securing Ukraine's air and maritime domains, and restoring Ukraine's defense capabilities for the time to come."
The UK prime minister added that London would be involved in any US-led verification of a possible ceasefire.
Security Guarantees and Diplomatic Positions
Senior US negotiator Steve Witkoff remarked that "durable security guarantees and robust prosperity commitments are vital to a lasting peace" in Ukraine – mentioning a key condition made by the Ukrainian government.
The negotiator said the partner nations had "largely finished" their work on agreeing such pledges "so that the citizens of Ukraine know that when this hostilities ends, it ends for good."
The former US envoy, ex-President Donald Trump's representative, also participated in the negotiations.
At the same time, President Macron Emmanuel Macron declared that Ukraine's allies had made "considerable advances" at the talks.
He said that "robust" safety pledges for Ukraine had been agreed in the case of a potential truce.
Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky said that a "major development" had been made in the talks, but qualified that he would only deem efforts to be "enough" if they culminated in the cessation of the fighting.
Last week, Zelensky said a peace agreement was "largely prepared". Agreeing on the outstanding 10% would "determine the outcome of the agreement, the fate of Ukraine and Europe".
Unresolved Issues
- Land and security guarantees have been at the center of unresolved issues for negotiators.
- Moscow has repeatedly warned that Ukraine's forces must retreat from the entirety of Ukraine's eastern Donbas or Russia will seize it, refusing any compromise over how to finish the war.
- Kyiv has to date excluded surrendering any territory, but has floated the idea that Ukraine could pull back its troops to an agreed point – but only if Russia follows suit.
Russia presently controls approximately 75% of the Donetsk region and some 99% of the adjacent Luhansk region. The pair of oblasts form the industrial region of Donbas.
The initial US-led 28-point framework that was circulated to the media last year was seen by Kyiv and its European allies as being heavily skewed in Russia's direction.
This led to weeks of focused negotiations – with all sides trying to adjust the document.
Last month, Ukraine submitted the US an revised 20-point plan – as well as separate documents detailing prospective security guarantees and arrangements for Ukraine's reconstruction, the President stated.
