Paris, Mar. 17: French President Emmanuel Macron has elaborated on a joint Franco-British initiative to establish a military support force for Ukraine, clarifying that it does not involve the deployment of a “mass” of soldiers. Instead, the plan, which is being developed with other nations in “coalition of the willing”, envisions stationing troop contingents at key locations following any ceasefire with Russia, reported AP.

Speaking to French media ahead of a UK-hosted online summit on Saturday, Macron detailed that the proposed force would involve several thousand troops from participating nations, positioned at strategic points in Ukraine.

According to reports from La Dépêche du Midi and Le Parisien, these troops would primarily focus on training Ukrainian forces and reinforcing defensive measures as a show of long-term support for Kyiv.

Macron said that the troops, from both NATO and non-NATO countries, would act as a “guarantee of security” for Ukraine. “Several European nations, and also non-European, have expressed their willingness to join such an effort when it is confirmed,” he said, as per AP.

He also dismissed the notion that Russia’s approval was required for such deployment, asserting, “Ukraine is sovereign. If it asks for Allied forces to be on its territory, it’s not up to Russia to accept or not.”

Following the two-hour virtual meeting on Saturday, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire if he was serious about peace. Starmer also indicated that allies would continue to increase pressure on the Kremlin, moving planning for a peacekeeping force to an “operational phase.”

The meeting included around 30 world leaders, among them Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and officials from NATO and the European Union. Representatives from Australia, Canada, and New Zealand also participated. The discussion focused on securing Ukraine’s future amid shifting dynamics following the return of US President Donald Trump.

This was the second such high-level meeting within two weeks, with broader international participation than the previous summit on March 2.

Starmer announced that military planners would reconvene in the UK on Thursday to advance concrete plans for Ukraine’s security.-Agencies