UK, France Revamp ‘Reassurance Force’ Plan for Ukraine – Paris HQ, Air Defense, Naval Demining

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer unveiled more details for a planned peacekeeping force in Ukraine following a three-day state visit by Macron to the UK on Thursday.

The plans included a headquarters in Paris, securing Ukrainian airspace, and naval demining in the Black Sea to help Ukraine rebuild its military – but only after the “cessation of hostilities.” 

The number of troops to be deployed, and how they would act should Ukraine come under renewed Russian attack, remain unclear. 

Macron and Starmer held a joint virtual video call of the so-called “Coalition of the Willing,” a bloc of nations willing to deploy peacekeepers to Ukraine after the Russian invasion is vanquished.

The call included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, who were in Rome for the Ukraine Recovery Conference.

The governments issued a joint declaration following their meeting.

“Today, we convened the Coalition of the Willing, bringing together more than thirty nations committed to Ukraine’s long-term security. We welcomed the development of mature operational plans to deploy a reassurance force once hostilities have ceased, and to help secure Ukraine’s skies and seas and regenerate Ukraine’s Armed Forces.”

This spring, the two leaders had announced the Coalition of the Willing initiative to deploy French and British peacekeepers on the ground in Ukraine before a potential ceasefire, but have not finalized a plan amid their failure to secure a “US backstop.”

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The French and German leaders criticized efforts by European Council President António Costa to establish contacts with Moscow, exposing divisions within the EU over who should lead any future talks with Russia.

US President Donald Trump has not publicly supported the plan and continues to pursue diplomatic and personal appeals to Russian President Vladimir Putin for a ceasefire, so far to no avail.

According to the AFP, during the meeting, Macron said: “We have a plan that is ready to go and initiate in the hours after a ceasefire.”

The announcement focused on the opening of a new Coalition of the Willing headquarters in Paris and helping Ukraine stabilize its military on the ground, air, and sea following a ceasefire.

A press release from Starmer’s Office provided details on support in the following areas:

Following the cessation of hostilities, the force is expected to:

• Regenerate land forces: providing logistics, armament, and training specialists to assist with the regeneration and reconstitution of Ukraine’s land forces.
• Secure Ukraine’s skies: The Coalition will provide safe skies alongside Ukraine’s Air Force using Coalition aircraft to deliver Air Policing, reassuring the Ukrainian population and establishing the conditions for normal international air travel to re-commence. 
• Support safer seas: The existing Black Sea Task Force of Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria will be bolstered by additional specialist staff to accelerate the clearance of mines from the Black Sea and ensure safe and secure maritime access for all vessels transiting to and from Ukrainian ports. 

The two leaders also agreed to increase the size of the Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF) from 10,000 to an army corps size of 50,000 troops. The CJEF was established in 2014 following the Russian annexation of Crimea and is an Anglo-French joint military force capable of peacekeeping, disaster relief, humanitarian aid, and combat operations in all domains, including space and cyber. 

The Coalition of the Willing partners also agreed to crack down on Russia’s shadow fleet, reducing Russian oil revenues, and efforts to prevent Russia from accessing dual-use technology. 

The two countries also committed to further nuclear cooperation in their joint declaration.

“Deepening our longstanding and resolute commitment to cooperation of our independent nuclear deterrents, we have agreed to set out, in a specific statement, our contribution to the defence of European partners and NATO allies, and that whilst our nuclear forces are independent, they can be coordinated. We have decided to establish a UK-France Nuclear Steering Group that will coordinate policy, capability, and operation.”

France and the UK are the only nuclear powers in Europe, and France’s nuclear force is entirely independent of NATO. France has recently proposed extending its nuclear umbrella over other European countries, such as Germany and Poland, in response to uncertainty about US security commitments in Europe.

On Tuesday, the two leaders agreed to further cooperation on developing anti-drone weapons and next-generation cruise missiles to replace the Storm Shadow/SCALP, according to Politico.

Other topics of discussion include curbing cross-channel migration, economic growth, and cultural exchanges.