Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a declaration of intent to create a multinational force to ensure compliance with the ceasefire in Ukraine.
As the British publication The Telegraph notes, this step is seen as progress and political success, because, according to the journalists, for the first time in over a year, Ukrainians, Americans, and Europeans “sang one song.” The article states that peace is now closer than ever before, as the parties are in the process of forming a security agreement that should prevent a new Russian attack on Ukraine after the cessation of hostilities.
In particular, Zelensky, Macron and Starmer announced plans to create an Anglo-French security force that could be deployed in Ukraine after a ceasefire is established. It is envisaged that these forces will become part of a wider multinational deterrence mechanism.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump's special representative, Steve Witkoff, said diplomats were "almost done" with security protocols designed to prevent a repeat of the war. He said these protocols would protect Ukraine in the event of a new attack, but the specific mechanisms remained unclear.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, for his part, claimed that the United States had agreed to “strong legally binding security guarantees” and some kind of American security mechanism. He also promised that Germany would take responsibility for Ukraine and the security of the continent as a whole, but refrained from joining the initiative of Great Britain and France to deploy forces directly on the ground.
The Telegraph stresses that the issue of security guarantees is a key component of any peace deal. The publication notes that Ukrainians will not agree to peace or territorial compromises without the certainty that Russia will not be able to attack again.
However, journalists emphasize that the security mechanism itself has not actually been agreed upon yet. Details have not been publicly announced, and the leaders have limited themselves to mentioning the US's participation in monitoring the ceasefire.
When asked for specifics, Witkoff said the US military had “thought about it,” but avoided giving a direct answer. This means that a key security guarantee — a clear signal that another attack on Ukraine would mean war with the US — is still missing.
The journalists also recalled that British officials had previously proposed the idea of stationing American aircraft in Poland or Romania to support Ukrainian, French, and British forces on the ground. It is currently unknown whether this proposal remains relevant.
According to The Telegraph, these details will determine the difference between real deterrence and formal guarantees. At the same time, in Paris, according to journalists, there were noticeable signs of the restoration of Western unity. Great Britain and France went further than expected in trying to convince Donald Trump that Europe is ready to take on a greater burden of its own security.
However, the publication ironically concludes: despite positive signals, the final answers regarding peace remain "over the next hill.".
