UK and France Commit to Deploy Troops to Ukraine in Event of Ceasefire
The leaders of the United Kingdom and France signed a declaration of intent on Tuesday to deploy “coalition of the willing” troops to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, providing security guarantees to kyiv.
Following a meeting in Paris by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, European leaders and senior Ukrainian officials, British Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a declaration of intent to deploy a multinational military force to Ukraine to enforce a possible ceasefire with Russia.
While the United Kingdom and France are so far the only allied powers committed to intervening on the ground in Ukraine, the agreement reportedly stipulated that the United States would act as a supporting force if the “coalition of willing forces” were attacked. London weather reported.
Additionally, France and the United Kingdom have committed to establishing “military centers” to help protect Ukraine’s weapons and other military equipment for defensive purposes. The United States would also be responsible for monitoring the ceasefire.
Commenting on the agreement, Prime Minister Starmer said: “We have signed a declaration of intent on deploying forces to Ukraine in the event of a peace agreement.
“This is a vital part of our commitment to supporting Ukraine over the long term. It paves the way for the legal framework within which British, French and partner forces could operate on Ukrainian soil, secure Ukraine’s skies and seas and regenerate Ukraine’s armed forces for the future.
“We discussed these issues in detail today, and therefore I can say that after a ceasefire, the UK and France will establish military centers across Ukraine and build protected zones>”
For his part, President Macron declared that the agreement represented a “solid” security guarantee for Ukraine and that “thousands” of soldiers could be deployed, Le Figaro reported.
“Based on all the work accomplished in recent months, we have consolidated our approach with the establishment of ceasefire monitoring mechanisms that will be placed under American leadership,” he said, “but with contributions from several states that have demonstrated their willingness.”
It is not yet clear what contributions other states will make to the Anglo-Franco-led effort. However, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reaffirmed that Rome would not deploy any troops to Ukraine.
At the same time, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Berlin would provide political, financial and military support to Ukraine, but also ruled out sending troops to the country. Merz, however, suggested that German soldiers could be deployed to NATO territory bordering Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire.
Speaking on the agreement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on
“We have had very substantive discussions with the American side on monitoring – to ensure that there are no violations of the peace. The United States is ready to work on that. One of the most critical elements is deterrence – the tools that will prevent further Russian aggression. We see all of that.”
US Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker told Fox News that the security guarantees were a “big development” and would allow President Zelensky to enter the final phase of negotiations with Russia to end a nearly four-year war.
“We could be on the cusp of a peace agreement. And so, you know, as we continue to pray for peace, we’re also doing all the work we can to make sure that we can maintain that peace, which would certainly be remarkable news,” Whitaker said.
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