Britain and France have agreed in principle to deploy troops to Ukraine if a peace deal with Russia is secured, marking the clearest commitment yet by European powers to put forces on Ukrainian soil to deter a renewed invasion.
After talks in Paris with Kyiv's allies, UK prime minister Keir Starmer said London and Paris would establish military hubs across Ukraine once a ceasefire is in place, while French president Emmanuel Macron said the deployment could involve thousands of troops. The force would aim to provide long-term security guarantees rather than fight Russian units directly.
Western leaders also backed the idea of the United States taking the lead in monitoring any truce, a key demand from Ukraine, though major questions remain unresolved, especially over territory currently occupied by Russian forces. Moscow, which controls about a fifth of Ukraine, has repeatedly warned that foreign troops in the country would be considered "legitimate targets".
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the Paris talks a "huge step forward", but cautioned that progress would only matter if it led to a real end to the war. With Russia continuing daily strikes and winter deepening, Kyiv faces growing pressure to weigh security guarantees against painful compromises still hanging over any final deal.
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