Britain and France are seeking to strengthen Ukraine's position in negotiations - Bloomberg
Kyiv • UNN
Britain and France are developing a plan to guarantee Ukraine's security. It envisages the deployment of troops and the creation of a coalition of states to protect against Russian aggression.
Great Britain and France are trying to strengthen Ukraine's position in negotiations, while US President Donald Trump is seeking a settlement of the war with Russia. This is reported by Bloomberg, writes UNN.
Details
It is noted that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are discussing a plan to deploy troops in Ukraine, which will guarantee Kyiv's security. At the same time, the Kremlin demands that the Ukrainian army be significantly reduced as part of any settlement.
According to the publication, a meeting of defense ministers of five leading European countries took place in Paris on Wednesday, where support for Ukraine was agreed against the background of changes in US policy.
French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu stressed the need to develop European space technologies and reduce dependence on Starlink. His German counterpart Boris Pistorius praised the US decision to continue military assistance to Ukraine, noting that Europe is ready to compensate for some services, in particular in the field of communications.
Starmer and Macron are also discussing the creation of an international coalition of 37 countries to support Ukraine. If peace agreements are reached, the states of Europe, the Commonwealth and Asia will provide funding, military forces, aircraft or ships to protect Ukraine from further Russian aggression
On Tuesday, March 11, allies who are not members of NATO, including Australia, Japan and New Zealand, held a separate meeting with the chiefs of staff of dozens of European countries and Canada. The concept of "guarantee forces" was presented as an important element of Ukraine's security.
British officials stressed that any attempts by Russia to block the participation of NATO countries in this process are an attempt to disrupt the prospects for a stable peace. Each state must determine what kind of assistance it is ready to provide to the coalition. Countries that do not plan to send troops to Ukraine may deploy them in neighboring countries, as well as provide naval and air support, transfer tanks and intelligence.
Rubio: minerals deal is not a guarantee of security12.03.25, 16:43 • 30018 views
According to military experts, the deployment of European forces in Ukraine is an important component of a long-term peace settlement. However, Russia is strongly opposed to the presence of NATO troops in Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that any presence of NATO troops on Ukrainian territory would be considered a threat to Russia.
In the coming days, the military leadership will present detailed options for the deployment of peacekeeping forces for consideration by Starmer and Macron. These proposals will also be discussed with other world leaders during a planned video meeting.
Subsequently, the developments will be submitted to US President Donald Trump. Allies hope to convince Washington to commit to air intelligence and border protection without involving American troops. Ben Barry, an expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, noted that US participation in the peacekeeping mission would significantly increase the level of intelligence and protection against ballistic missiles.
Britain and France are opposed to concessions to the Kremlin's demands for the demilitarization of Ukraine and the holding of elections until a peace agreement is reached. On Wednesday, Starmer also stressed the need to return Ukrainian children illegally taken to Russia.
At the same time, there are fears that Moscow may use the ceasefire to regroup its forces and prepare a new offensive against Ukraine.
