The UK and France have committed to deploying troops to Ukraine if a ceasefire is agreed with Russia. The two countries, along with Ukraine, signed a "Declaration of Intent" on Tuesday, outlining plans to establish "military hubs" across Ukraine. These hubs would provide protective facilities for Ukraine's armed forces to maintain the country's defensive needs.
The commitment was made during the Coalition of the Willing summit on security guarantees for Ukraine in Paris, attended by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, France's President Emmanuel Macron, and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The move could potentially escalate tensions with Russia, which has repeatedly ruled out any presence of NATO countries' forces in Ukraine after a deal.
The agreement marks a significant development in the ongoing conflict, but it remains unclear whether Russia will accept the terms. The US and Europe appear more aligned on security guarantees and how a ceasefire should be policed, but the Kremlin has given no indication it would be prepared to accept a deal that includes such guarantees.