Security Contingent in Ukraine: First Details Now Available

The Chiefs of Staff of the French and British Armed Forces, General Thierry Burkhard and Admiral Anthony Radakin, recently met in Kyiv with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukraine's military leadership.

‘There has been tangible progress, and the first details on how the security contingent of partner countries can be deployed are now available. I am grateful to all the nations that are assisting us, and to the UK and France for their leadership. It is this kind of joint effort, where everyone is focused on achieving a strong result, that helps bring reliable and lasting peace to Ukraine,’ President Zelenskyy commented on his social media.

The main focus of the meeting was on security guarantees for Ukraine and the future peace architecture in Europe. According to Zelenskyy, discussions covered land, air, and sea presence, as well as air defense. He added that such meetings at the military level will be held on a weekly basis.

The talks focused on the ‘structure, size, and composition required for any future reassurance force’, with 30 countries expected to participate in the ‘coalition of the willing’.

This coalition, led by France and the United Kingdom, has been developing a plan for several weeks to deploy thousands of troops to Ukraine to ensure a future ceasefire.

On March 27, the first ‘Coalition of the Willing’ summit took place in Paris, with 33 delegations in total, including leaders from 26 European countries. The leaders discussed steadfast support for Ukraine, strengthening its military, and enhancing its defense industry. 

As reported by The Gaze, in February, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed that the United Kingdom is ready and willing to deploy its troops to Ukraine as part of a security guarantee.