On July 10, 2025, major announcements from London signaled a potential shift in the continent’s security architecture. French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, at a joint press conference, declared their readiness to deploy up to 50,000 troops to Ukraine following the signing of a ceasefire agreement. This would be part of a large-scale peacekeeping mission in which London and Paris take on the role of guarantors of regional stability.
What’s particularly noteworthy is the plan to expand the existing joint expeditionary force into a full-scale army-level formation. Previously oriented toward training operations and rapid deployment, the Franco-British contingent is now expected to play a central role in post-conflict stabilization. Its main tasks will include monitoring compliance with the ceasefire, controlling air and maritime zones, and supporting Ukraine’s infrastructure recovery efforts.
According to Keir Starmer, the peacekeeping mission plan is fully developed and can be activated within hours of a formal ceasefire. He emphasized that the initiative operates independently of unanimous approval from military or political alliances, thereby sidestepping past instances where internal disagreements blocked joint actions.
The headquarters of the coordinating center—formed under a broad “coalition of the willing”—will initially be based in France, before moving to the UK capital. From there, operational management will extend to on-the-ground coordination hubs, including a major regional center in Kyiv.
The selection of deployment zones is also telling. According to Macron, troops will be stationed in key strategic cities—Kyiv, Odesa, and Lviv. However, they are not intended for direct combat involvement. Their role will focus on training Ukrainian forces, supporting logistics, helping restore air defense systems and energy infrastructure, and bringing Ukrainian military capabilities up to large-scale defense standards.
This step follows a March initiative proposing a 30-day ceasefire covering air and sea operations, as well as the protection of energy infrastructure. That plan received full backing from Kyiv, while Moscow reserved its response.
Despite some skepticism expressed in various European capitals, the initiative’s architects remain confident. They argue that in the face of ongoing geopolitical turbulence, passivity is no longer an option. Instead of more political declarations, they offer a concrete mechanism of oversight and support, backed by real manpower and logistical resources.
Officials in Paris are keen to emphasize that this is not about creating an occupation zone. Rather, it marks the beginning of a new stabilization phase. Although the final ceasefire terms are yet to be finalized, the readiness for implementation demonstrates that some European powers have decided to act preemptively—shaping the future’s security framework today.
