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.
