The leaders of the United Kingdom, France, and Ukraine agreed to deploy a multinational force to Ukraine after a cease-fire.
On the 6th (local time), U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a letter of intent to that effect in Paris after the Summit of the Coalition of Willing.
The letter of intent centers on deploying a multinational force on the ground to support Ukraine's defense, reconstruction, and strategic alignment after the war in Ukraine ends. The United Kingdom and France will lead the multinational force, and the two countries said they would each deploy troops to Ukraine after a peace deal.
Italy and Poland said they would not send troops to Ukraine, while Germany's position is that it could send troops to neighboring countries rather than Ukraine.
At a news conference, U.K. Prime Minister Starmer said, "After the cease-fire, the United Kingdom and France will establish military footholds across Ukraine." French President Macron said, "Troops numbering in the thousands could be dispatched," and explained, "They will carry out security assurance missions in the rear."
Macron also said, "At this meeting attended by a U.S. delegation, we made major progress toward a solid and sustainable peace," adding, "We formalized a coordinating body that will fully integrate the relevant forces and enable cooperation." Macron said the United States also made clear its intention to participate in terms of front-line monitoring.
In fact, Steve Witkoff, special envoy of U.S. President Donald Trump, and Trump's eldest son-in-law Jared Kushner attended the Summit of the Coalition of Willing as the U.S. representatives. Witkoff has said, "We share with the allies the view that sustainable security guarantees are essential for Ukraine's lasting peace."
Ukrainian President Zelensky welcomed the allies' drafting of concrete documents to guarantee Ukraine's security. Zelensky emphasized, "We have identified the countries ready to take the lead in elements of ground, air, and maritime security guarantees and in the field of recovery."
The United States and Ukraine have reached agreement on the broad framework of an end-of-war plan, but they still differ on key issues such as Ukraine's territorial concessions and the operation plan for the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Russia has not yet issued an official position on the outcome of the meeting, but Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly warned in the past that "foreign troops stationed in Ukraine will become 'legitimate targets.'"