In a bold move aimed at reinforcing Ukraine’s defences, Britain and France are set to deploy military teams to the war-torn country within days, French President Emmanuel Macron has confirmed.
The delegation, made up of British and French personnel, will work directly with Ukrainian forces as part of a ‘reassurance force’. While the decision hasn’t received full backing from all European allies, Macron and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer are pushing ahead, determined to show Russian President Vladimir Putin that Ukraine will not stand alone.
The announcement came after a high-stakes summit in Paris, attended by Starmer, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and other Western leaders, all focused on strengthening Ukraine’s military capabilities.
‘In very specific terms, we agreed that the Prime Minister of Great Britain and I will instruct our chiefs of defence to ensure that a Franco-British team is sent to Ukraine within a few days for very close cooperation with our Ukrainian partners,’ Macron told reporters.
A Divisive but Determined Approach
Macron acknowledged that the decision was ‘not unanimous’ among European nations but insisted that ‘it is not up to Russia what happens on Ukrainian soil’.
While he was clear that this force would not act as a peacekeeping mission or a ceasefire enforcement unit, he left the door open to a wider military role. ‘Nothing has been ruled out,’ he said. ‘We will look at sea forces, ground forces and air forces.’
Starmer echoed Macron’s sentiment, calling it a ‘deterrence force’ aimed at making it clear to Putin that any deal to end the war will be upheld.
‘This is a force designed to deter, in order to send that message to Putin that this is a deal that is going to be defended, that’s the best description of it,’ the British Prime Minister stated.
European Unity in Question
Despite Britain and France taking the lead, it remains uncertain which other European nations will commit to sending teams to Ukraine. However, one thing was made clear: any further steps would require US involvement.
Beyond military support, leaders at the Paris summit reinforced their stance on economic pressure against Russia. There was ‘complete clarity’ that lifting sanctions was not an option at this stage. In fact, the conversation focused on increasing sanctions to further squeeze the Russian economy and force Putin to negotiate.
‘Quite the contrary, what we discussed is how we can increase sanctions to support the US initiative to bring Russia to the table from further pressure,’ Starmer said.
A Clear Message to Moscow
With boots soon to be on the ground, this deployment signals a clear warning to Putin: Ukraine’s allies are not stepping back. As war continues to rage, Britain and France are making their stance crystal clear, Ukraine will not be left to fight alone.
