The UK and France have signed a declaration of intent on deploying troops in Ukraine if a peace deal is made with Russia, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced.
After talks with Ukraine’s allies in Paris, he said the UK and France would “establish military hubs across Ukraine” to deter future invasion, while French President Emmanuel Macron later said thousands of troops may be deployed.
Allies also largely agreed robust security guarantees for Ukraine and proposed that the US would take the lead in monitoring a truce. But the key issue of territory is still being discussed.
Russia has repeatedly warned that any foreign troops in Ukraine would be a “legitimate target”.
Moscow has not yet commented on the announcements made in the French capital.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Moscow currently controls about 20 percent of Ukrainian territory.
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Heads of state and top officials from the “Coalition of the Willing” took part in Tuesday’s talks in Paris.
Speaking at a joint press conference after the meeting, Starmer said: “We signed a declaration of intent on the deployment of forces to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal.
“This is a vital part of our commitment to stand with Ukraine for the long-term.
“It paves the way for the legal framework under which British, French, and partner forces could operate on Ukrainian soil, securing Ukraine’s skies and seas, and regenerating Ukraine’s armed forces for the future.”
The UK prime minister added London would participate in any US-led verification of a potential ceasefire.
Top US negotiator Steve Witkoff said “durable security guarantees and robust prosperity commitments are essential to a lasting peace” in Ukraine, referring to a key demand made by Kyiv.
Witkoff said the allies “largely finished” their work on agreeing security protocols “so that people of Ukraine know that when this (war) ends, it ends forever”.
Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy and son-in-law, said that after a deal Ukrainians needed to know that “real backstops” were in place to ensure war would “not happen again”.
Meanwhile, President Macron said Ukraine’s allies had made “considerable progress” at the talks.
He said “robust” security guarantees for Kyiv had been agreed in the event of a potential ceasefire.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a “huge step forward” had been made in Paris, but added that he would only consider efforts to be “enough” if they resulted in the end of the war.
