Britain and France have declared they are ready to deploy troops to Ukraine following a ceasefire, a major commitment under discussion for months. The announcement came after a summit in Paris hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, attended by over two dozen leaders from the 'coalition of the willing' of Ukrainian allies, along with US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a trilateral declaration of intent on Tuesday evening. Starmer said that after a ceasefire, the UK and France would establish military hubs across Ukraine. However, the planned ground force is unlikely to engage directly with Russian forces if Moscow relaunches an invasion. Macron stated the goal is 'to provide reassurance after the ceasefire' and noted the force would be stationed 'a long way behind the contact line'. No further clarity was given on the size or scope of the potential force.
Macron said the coalition also drew up a plan for ceasefire monitoring commitments under American leadership and long-term support for Ukrainian armed forces. Witkoff said the security guarantees were 'as strong as anyone has ever seen' and meant to deter further attacks. He added that President Trump 'does not back down from his commitments' and would be there for Ukrainians to help achieve peace.
Separately, US and Ukrainian delegations have been trying to sign a bilateral peace agreement. Zelenskyy said the issue of Ukraine giving up territory remains a sticking point. Witkoff agreed that territory 'will be the most critical issue' and hoped for compromises. The Kremlin has said it will categorically oppose any Nato soldiers being based on Ukrainian soil as part of any deal.
Starmer acknowledged the challenges: 'We are closer to [peace] than ever but of course the hardest yards are still ahead. We can only get to a peace deal if Putin is ready to make compromises. Putin is not showing he is ready for peace.'
