France and Britain are in talks about deploying peacekeeping forces to Ukraine, according to The Telegraph.

French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer are discussing the possibility of sending military personnel from their countries to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping contingent. This scenario is being considered by Paris and London following a potential agreement between Kyiv and Moscow to cease hostilities.

This information was reported by RBK-Ukraine citing The Telegraph.

It is suggested that the peacekeepers from Western nations would serve as a security guarantee for Ukraine in the event of an agreement with Russia to halt the fighting.

This is one of the ideas that "is increasingly being discussed not only in public debates but also behind closed doors in Westminster" (within the British government), according to The Telegraph.

The French president supports this idea and has already discussed it with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

The British publication notes that press secretaries at Downing Street and the Élysée Palace did not deny that Starmer and Macron discussed this possibility during their meeting last week.

At the same time, officials in London and Paris are keeping the details of the discussions confidential. However, The Telegraph reports that numerous authoritative government sources in Britain indicate that Starmer has not yet fully agreed to this initiative.

One source in Whitehall pointed out to The Telegraph the open questions about the potential threat to this peacekeeping contingent and whether it would constitute an "escalation."

Possible Scenarios for Peacekeeper Deployment

However, it is important to note that there remains a lot of uncertainty regarding this prospect, including unclear boundaries for a "buffer" zone between Ukrainian Defense Forces and Russian occupiers, and where Western peacekeepers might be hypothetically stationed to ensure Ukraine's protection from any future attacks by Russia.

One source from the British government stated that London has not yet approved such a proposal for the country's participation in the peacekeeping contingent.

Nonetheless, The Telegraph outlined three scenarios in which British and other countries' troops could theoretically be deployed as peacekeepers in Ukraine.

Specifically, the first scenario envisions freezing the frontline in Ukraine, with Russia maintaining control over temporarily occupied territories in the east and south of the country.

Additionally, there is a consideration for the protection of Kyiv by Western forces (the second scenario), and the establishment of an "air shield" on Polish territory while simultaneously training Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel in Ukraine (the third).

The Question of Peacekeepers in Ukraine

Recall that in mid-December, Macron discussed the deployment of soldiers from European countries as peacekeepers in Ukraine with Polish Prime Minister Tusk, who stated at the time that Warsaw "does not plan any such actions."

Earlier this week, Macron and Zelensky also spoke about potential plans regarding peacekeepers.

The Ukrainian president noted that discussing France's initiative to place military contingents in Ukraine is one of the effective security guarantees. The head of state added that the parties "considered practical steps for its implementation, potential expansion, and involving other countries in these efforts."

Furthermore, on January 15, during a press conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Zelensky stated that the issue of deploying peacekeeping forces in Ukraine would be discussed with the UK Prime Minister and was also discussed with Baltic partners.

Additionally, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys stated that if Ukraine requests Western countries, particularly Lithuania, to deploy troops, Vilnius will consider this request.

It is also worth noting that RBK-Ukraine reported separately on whether an international contingent could help end the war with Russia.