British armed forces will land on Ukrainian soil to monitor any potential ceasefire deal agreed with Russia.

Speaking at a press conference in Paris alongside French president Emmanuel Macron and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said ‘military hubs’ will be set up across Ukraine once a peace deal has been reached.

The joint press conference was followed by a statement from Number 10, which said: ‘The signing of the declaration paves the way for the legal framework to be established for French and UK forces to operate on Ukrainian soil, securing Ukraine’s skies and seas and building an armed forces fit for the future.

‘In today’s discussions, we have also gone into greater detail about the mechanics of the deployment of the force on the ground.

‘Alongside our plans for a co-ordination cell, post-ceasefire the UK and France will also establish ‘military hubs’ across Ukraine to enable the deployment and build protected facilities for weapons and military equipment to support Ukraine’s defensive needs.’

Initial estimates from Defence Chief John Healey found that it would cost ‘well over £100,000,000’ to put British troops on the ground in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the US is set to provide security guarantees to the peacekeeping force assembled by the so-called Coalition of the Willing, it was revealed after a meeting in Paris on Tuesday.

Peace can only be reached if Russia’s Vladimir Putin is ‘ready to make compromises’, Sir Keir said, adding that the Russian president was not currently ‘showing that he’s ready for peace’.

‘We will keep the pressure up on Russia, including further measures on oil tankers and shadow fleet operators funding Putin’s war chest,’ the Prime Minister added.

Despite the US and Ukraine agreeing on several critical issues in a peace plan before Christmas, the conflict remains ongoing.

Russian officials claimed a drone strike killed 24 people and injured at least 50 more as they celebrated the New Year in an occupied village in Ukraine.

Also, just as 2026 was about to begin, a new blow to Trump’s peace talks was made as Putin ordered the expansion of a ‘buffer zone’ along the Russia-Ukraine border.

According to a summary of the peace deal released by the Elysee, the Americans are set to lead a ‘ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism’, which the UK is expected to participate in.

A US guarantee, possibly in the form of air defence, has long been considered crucial to halting Russia from further military action in the future.

Mr Macron dubbed the agreement the ‘Paris Declaration’ and said via a translator that it offered ‘strong security guarantees’.

Earlier today, before the meeting to discuss the future of the Russia-Ukraine war, European leaders rallied behind Greenland in the face of renewed US threats after Trump said they could take over the territory.

A joint statement from the leaders said ‘Greenland belongs to its people’ and that ‘Arctic security remains a key priority for Europe.’

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