The United Kingdom and France say they are ready to send troops to Ukraine after a ceasefire

The United Kingdom and France have announced that they are ready to deploy troops to Ukraine following a ceasefire, as part of a major new commitment that has been discussed for months but is likely to be strongly opposed by Russia after a peace agreement. 
 

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the signed “letter of intent” had “paved the way for a legal framework under which troops could operate on Ukrainian territory.” 
 

In a statement from the UK Prime Minister’s Office, it was noted that the force—referred to as the “Multinational Force for Ukraine”—would aim to strengthen security guarantees and enhance Ukraine’s ability to return to peace and stability. 
The announcement came after a summit in Paris hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, attended by more than two dozen leaders from Ukraine’s allies forming a so-called “coalition of the willing,” as well as US envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Kushner said the US president stood “strongly behind” the security protocols. 
 

French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a trilateral letter of intent on Tuesday evening after hours of talks. The document stated that the deployment of French and British troops on Ukrainian soil would be enabled. Starmer said, “After a ceasefire, the UK and France will establish military bases across Ukraine.” 
However, the planned ground force is unlikely to enter into direct conflict with Russian forces if Moscow were to reinvade Ukraine. Macron clearly stated that the purpose of the force would be to “provide reassurance after a ceasefire” and that it would be deployed “far behind the line of contact.” No further details were immediately provided regarding the size or scope of the potential force. 
 

Macron added that the coalition was also preparing plans to take on “US-led ceasefire monitoring commitments,” as well as to provide “long-term support to the Ukrainian armed forces, which are and will remain on the front lines of defense.” 
Asked whether the United States would assist European forces in Ukraine if they were attacked, Witkoff said the security guarantees were “the strongest guarantees seen to date” and were intended “to deter any attack,” adding that they would “do both.” 
 

Witkoff continued: “The president is not backing away from his commitments. He is taking a strong stand for the country of Ukraine and for a peace agreement. We will be there to help Ukrainians reach a lasting peace.” Witkoff and Kushner were in Paris representing the United States after Secretary of State Marco Rubio withdrew from the talks following Trump’s response to an attack in Venezuela. 
 

The Paris talks took place at a time when Trump’s attention had shifted from Ukraine to Venezuela, and his threats to annex Greenland had caused tensions in US-European relations. At a joint press conference following the signing of the agreement, questions were raised about whether Europe could rely on US security guarantees at a time when Trump had threatened another NATO member with military action. 
 

Meanwhile, US and Ukrainian delegations have been trying for weeks to sign a bilateral peace agreement, which the White House would then take to Russia. Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian officials were expected to hold separate meetings with Witkoff and Kushner on Tuesday evening. 

“A year ago, we could not even have imagined this,” Zelenskyy said. 
Alongside Germany, France, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom, two senior figures from the Trump administration attended the conference on behalf of the United States. US special envoy Steve Witkoff said, “I think we have largely completed our work on the security protocols.” 
 

Jared Kushner added, “This does not [necessarily] mean that we will achieve peace, but without the progress made here today, peace [would not be possible].” 
 

WHAT ARE THE MOST DIFFICULT ISSUES? 

Russia, the United States, and Ukraine agree that they are approaching an agreement that could end a war that has lasted nearly four years. 
However, in the words of US President Donald Trump, “one or two very thorny, very difficult issues” remain unresolved. 
 

Two of the most challenging issues in Washington’s 20-point plan are the territorial question and the fate of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, which is currently under Russian control. The Kremlin agrees with Trump’s view that negotiations are in their “final stages.” 
 

THE FUTURE OF UKRAINE’S INDUSTRIAL REGIONS 
 

Despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s compromise proposal regarding the industrial Donbas region, Vladimir Putin has not backed away from his demand for the entire area. 
 

Russian forces currently occupy most of Luhansk in eastern Donbas. However, they control only just over 75% of Donetsk. Putin wants the entire region, including cities such as Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. Zelenskyy said, “We cannot simply withdraw; this is against our laws.” 
 

“This is not just about the law,” he added. “Three hundred thousand people live there. We cannot lose these people.” Kyiv has proposed the creation of a demilitarized zone or a free economic zone in parts of Donbas under Ukrainian control. In return, it demands that Russian forces pull back by the same distance. The current front line would be monitored by international forces. 

It is hard to imagine Putin agreeing to any of these proposals. Russian generals are also reportedly telling Putin that Ukrainian territory is being captured rapidly. Although Trump has repeatedly claimed that peace is very close, there are few signs that Moscow is ready for an agreement. Russian officials continue to say they want a comprehensive solution addressing what they call the “root causes” of the conflict, repeatedly rejecting a temporary ceasefire or a quick deal. 
 

The Kremlin has also stated that it would strongly oppose any deployment of NATO troops on Ukrainian territory as part of any agreement. Since Moscow currently appears content to continue the war, the likelihood of deploying a force after a negotiated settlement seems low, at least in the short term. 
 

Starmer acknowledged this reality in his remarks on Tuesday. “We are closer to peace than ever before, but of course the most difficult paths are still ahead of us,” he said. “If Putin is ready to compromise, we can reach a peace agreement. Putin is not showing that he is ready for peace,” he added. 
 

The Paris meeting brought together an impressive list of world leaders, with 27 heads of state or government traveling to Paris for the talks. Alongside the summit, a series of meetings were held involving French, British, Ukrainian, and NATO military commanders. 
 

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said after the talks that their countries would not send troops on any mission to Ukraine. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said German forces could contribute to a force, but would be deployed in neighboring countries rather than inside Ukraine. 
 

Zelenskyy said over the weekend that he believed “not everyone is ready” to send troops to Ukraine, acknowledging that intelligence sharing and weapons transfers were also important forms of support. However, he said that for any security guarantees to be meaningful, troop deployment commitments by the UK and France were essential. 
 

“Speaking frankly as president, even the existence of a coalition depends on whether some countries are ready to increase their presence,” he said. “If they are not ready at all, then this is not really a ‘coalition of the willing.’ 
 
 
 
 
REFERENCES 
Walker, S. (2026, January 6). UK and France ‘ready to deploy troops’ to Ukraine after ceasefire. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/06/uk-france-ready-to-deploy-troops-to-ukraine-after-ceasefire  
 

BBC News Türkçe. (2026, January 6). UK and France agree to send troops to Ukraine [Article in Turkish]. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/turkce/articles/c368nez0x4ro