Britain and France are trying to develop a plan to strengthen Ukraine's position in talks to end Russian aggression. The idea, in particular, involves the deployment of Western troops in Ukraine, which would be supported by US President Donald Trump.
Points of attention
- Britain and France are working on a plan to strengthen Ukraine's position and provide security guarantees to end Russian aggression.
- The plan includes deploying Western troops in Ukraine and forming a coalition of willing countries to protect Ukraine from further aggression.
- European defense ministers emphasize the importance of the Ukrainian army in providing security guarantees for the country.
France and Britain are preparing a plan in case Russia's war against Ukraine ends
Officials in London and Paris are trying to come up with a plan to provide Ukraine with security guarantees. This comes amid demands from Moscow that the Ukrainian army be significantly reduced as part of any settlement of the Russian Federation's war against Ukraine.
On March 12, negotiations were held in Paris between the defense ministers of France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, and Poland to agree on support for Ukraine.
As French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu stated at a press conference with colleagues from other European countries, there is "a broad consensus that the first guarantee of security for Ukraine is the Ukrainian army itself, its capabilities, its weapons, its training."
"Long-term security guarantees will depend on the capabilities that we can provide to Ukraine," the French minister emphasized.
Lecornu also warned that Europe needs to quickly develop space technology and reduce its dependence on Starlink from SpaceX, owned by American billionaire Elon Musk.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius welcomed the US statement on continued military support for Ukraine. At the same time, the head of the German defense ministry noted that Europe could replace some US aid and services, including Starlinks.
We can intervene quickly, for example with ammunition, but also with satellite communications if needed.
Boris Pistorius
Minister of Defense of Germany
British Defense Minister John Healy said on March 12 that defense ministers from various countries would meet again next week to continue discussing "military planning" in the event of a settlement.
Currently, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are leading talks between 37 countries to create a "coalition of the willing" for Ukraine if a peaceful settlement is reached.
This means that countries in Europe, the Commonwealth, and Asia will contribute funding, troops, aircraft, or naval vessels to help defend Ukraine from the prospect of further Russian aggression.
Military chiefs will provide Starmer and Macron with more detailed options for a peacekeeping force in the coming days, and they will be discussed with other Western leaders in a phone call this weekend.
They will then present the developed plan to Trump, who they hope can be persuaded to take on US security guarantees in the form of air power, intelligence and surveillance abroad without providing US troops to the peacekeeping force.
Britain and France also do not want the United States to give in to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's demands to "demilitarize" Ukraine and force President Volodymyr Zelensky to hold elections before a permanent peace deal is reached.
As Starmer stated, the issue of Ukrainian children abducted by Russian invaders should also be considered as part of the settlement.
Officials believe that the agreement between the United States and Ukraine on a 30-day ceasefire, combined with the development of plans for a peacekeeping force, has increased pressure on Russia to make its own concessions.
