NATO members the U.K. and France are discussing whether to send a peacekeeping force of troops from both countries to Ukraine in a deal to end the war.
British newspaper The Telegraph reported that the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are considering the move. However, citing British government sources, the newspaper said that Starmer is not fully on board with the idea proposed by Macron.
Newsweek has contacted the British Foreign Office and the French Presidency for comment.
Why It Matters
European leaders are trying to work out how to continue their backing for Ukraine’s sovereignty as President-elect Donald Trump enters the White House with the likely policy of pushing for Kyiv to strike a peace deal with Moscow.
What To Know
At a meeting in Paris on December 7 with Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump had floated the idea that Europe would have to shoulder the burden of supporting Ukraine and managing a future ceasefire, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Trump said that he does not back Ukraine’s NATO membership but wants to see a “strong, well-armed” country when hostilities end. The Republican‘s past criticism of American soldiers abroad means it is unlikely U.S. troops would be peacekeepers.
The British government wants Ukraine’s allies to back Ukraine, but Kyiv must decide if there should be peace talks. During their meeting in the U.K. last week, Macron and Starmer discussed sending troops but the British prime minister was not fully behind the idea, The Telegraph reported.
One scenario that has been proposed is an 800-mile border between the new Ukrainian and Russian borders, with a demilitarized “buffer” zone established and backed by Western troops to ensure the rest of Ukraine is not attacked by Russia.
But questions remain over whether Trump should force Ukraine into conceding territory, which has been suggested by his incoming special Ukrainian peace envoy, Keith Kellogg.
Wayne Jordash from Global Rights Compliance, which compiles evidence of Russian war crimes, told Newsweek that Trump forcing Ukraine into conceding territory would undermine the prohibition of force in international law and send the message that violations of the U.N. Charter can achieve territorial gains.
What People Are Saying
A British government source told The Telegraph: “There are challenges over what we could support, what would we want to support, and the broader question about the threat that those troops may be under and whether that is escalatory.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “[We] agreed to work closely with key allies on achieving peace and developing effective security guarantees. As one such guarantee, we discussed the French initiative to deploy military contingents in Ukraine.”
Former U.K. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said on January 13: “British troops contributing to a postwar peacekeeping force would undoubtedly be a welcome move, but it barely scratches the surface of what Ukraine truly needs.”
Wayne Jordash KC, president of Global Rights Compliance, told Newsweek: “Conceding Ukrainian territory under duress is not just a political compromise—it’s a direct assault on the post-World War II international legal order.”
What Happens Next
While Ukraine has declared it is willing to engage in potential discussions, with conditions, Western officials remain skeptical about whether Putin is really interested in peace talks at all.
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