UK, France Sign Deal To Put Troops Inside Ukraine—Russia Designates 800,000 Strong Army ‘Legitimate Targets’

ZMG Breaking News

The UK, France and Ukraine signed a 6 January 2026 Declaration of Intent in Paris outlining a future multinational security presence in Ukraine, a step aimed at long-term reassurance after any ceasefire. The plan frames a Multinational Force, Ukraine (MNF-U), with British- and French-led units building military hubs to store weapons, repair equipment and coordinate logistics. Kyiv intends to base foreign troop status on the NATO Status of Forces Agreement and the Partnership for Peace SOFA. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejects any peace that freezes Russian gains. Russia warned Western units would be considered legitimate targets, as the U.S. readied verification without deploying soldiers.

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00:00UK, France signed deal to put troops inside Ukraine, Russia designates 800,000 strong

00:06army legitimate targets.

00:09When the leaders of the UK and France met Ukraine's president in Paris, they did more

00:14than repeat old promises of support.

00:17Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, and nearly four years later,

00:23the war has killed large numbers of soldiers and civilians while wrecking Ukraine's economy,

00:28power grid, and cities.

00:30At the Elysee Palace, a coalition of the willing evolved since 2025 into a post-cease-fire

00:36reassurance force.

00:38UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron say Europe must take the lead

00:44with multinational force, new legal frameworks, and long-term funding.

00:49President Volodymyr Zelensky insists Ukraine will not accept any peace that freezes Russian

00:54territorial gains or lets Moscow quietly prepare for another assault, warning that Ukraine will

01:00not trade its land for an illusion of peace.

01:03On January 6, 2026, the UK, France, and Ukraine signed a declaration of intent in Paris that

01:09lays out the framework for a future multinational force, Ukraine, known as MNFU.

01:16Under the Paris plan, British and French-led units would establish a network of military hubs

01:21across Ukrainian territory, built to store weapons, repair equipment, and coordinate logistics.

01:28At the heart of the security architecture is Ukraine's own military, now often described

01:33in NATO discussions as an 800,000-strong armed force that will remain the country's main shield

01:39even after any peace deal.

01:41The Paris documents say Kiev intends to base the status of British, French, and other MNFU

01:47forces on existing NATO legal frameworks, the 1951 NATO Status of Forces Agreement, and

01:53the 1995 Partnership for Peace, SOFA.

01:58UK government figures show London has committed roughly £21.8 billion in support since 2022,

02:05including around £13 billion in military assistance and a pledge to sustain £3 billion a year in

02:12military aid until at least 2030 to 31.

02:16On the 8th of January, 2026, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that any military

02:22units and facilities deployed by Western countries on Ukrainian territory will be regarded as legitimate

02:28targets of the Russian armed forces, calling the coalition an axis of war.

02:33Washington's special envoy for the talks has said that ceasefire monitoring protocols are largely

02:38drafted, and that the U.S. is ready to lead verification efforts without sending American soldiers into

02:44Ukraine.

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