UK Lines Up Troops for Ukraine in Anticipation of Ceasefire Deal
The UK has finalized detailed plans for the potential deployment of British forces to Ukraine, preparing for a possible shift from active conflict to a negotiated settlement.
The Gaze reports this, referring to Bloomberg.
The move comes as Washington launches a new round of diplomacy aimed at reviving peace negotiations with Russia.
According to the report, London has completed months of reconnaissance missions and readiness assessments to determine which units could be stationed in Ukraine, where their headquarters would operate, and how they would integrate with allied forces.
The deployment blueprint forms part of a 30-nation coalition led jointly by the UK and France, designed to support Ukraine once a ceasefire agreement is achieved.
British Defence Ministry officials stressed that all steps will be coordinated with NATO partners and adjusted to the terms of any future peace deal.
The UK intends to allocate resources enabling the rapid arrival of British troops, with plans that include conducting some training of Ukrainian forces directly inside Ukraine.
A two-star British officer would oversee coordination of the multinational mission, ensuring unified command and communication.
London also supports proposals to expand the existing Black Sea operational group – currently involving Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria – to secure maritime routes and accelerate the demining of Ukrainian ports.
As a U.S. military delegation holds talks in Kyiv on restarting peace negotiations, the UK has signaled readiness to reinforce these efforts. London has set aside more than £100 million to cover initial deployment costs if a ceasefire is agreed.
Any British presence would be stationed far from active combat zones, with the aim of supporting Ukraine’s military restructuring and infrastructure recovery once hostilities subside.
The preparations come as the UK also deepens its broader assistance to Ukraine: over $17 million has been allocated for energy system repairs, and London has introduced a ban on maritime imports of Russian LNG, tightening economic pressure on the Kremlin.
As The Gaze reported earlier, Ukraine has become the first country to receive “Enhanced Partnership” status with the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), marking a new stage in military cooperation with Northern Europe and the United Kingdom.
Read more on The Gaze: What Could Security Guarantees for Ukraine Look Like?