Moscow refutes claims regarding the reactivation of discussions between Britain and France following Donald Trump's victory in the election.
The Kremlin has dismissed claims about discussions between Britain and France regarding the deployment of troops to Ukraine.
A Le Monde report suggested that Britain and France had revived talks on sending Western soldiers and private defense contractors to Ukraine. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refuted the report, stating it did not “correspond with reality” and faced resistance from many European capitals. “There is no unanimity among Europeans, though some hotheads exist,” he remarked.
According to Le Monde, these “sensitive discussions” were reignited after Donald Trump’s presidential victory raised concerns about reduced U.S. support for Kyiv. The report highlighted President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial comments in February, where he refused to rule out sending troops to Ukraine, despite Germany’s opposition. The prospect, far from dismissed, was reportedly revived during British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to France for Armistice Day ceremonies, marking the first time a British leader had attended since Winston Churchill.
A British military source told Le Monde: “Discussions are ongoing between the UK and France about defense cooperation, with a focus on Ukraine and broader European security.” Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stressed the importance of avoiding “red lines” in supporting Ukraine, though he left open the possibility of troop involvement, aligning with Macron’s stance of maintaining “strategic ambiguity.”
While no decision has been made to deploy troops or contractors, Le Monde reported that proposals had been under consideration for months. One suggestion involves Défense Conseil International (DCI), a state-controlled French entity, training Ukrainian soldiers and maintaining French military equipment within Ukraine. Currently, France provides such training in Poland and domestically. The DCI reportedly discussed collaboration with the British company Babcock, which is already active in Ukraine, but no agreement has been finalized.
In May, Babcock announced plans to establish a technical support site in Ukraine to repair military vehicles. This aligns with the recent U.S. policy change permitting private military contractors to operate openly in Ukraine to maintain Western-supplied equipment like F-16s and Patriot air defense systems.
The debate arises as Ukraine ramps up long-range missile strikes. Earlier this month, U.S.-supplied atomic missiles were used to target Russian positions. Britain’s Storm Shadow missiles have also been employed, prompting Moscow’s ambassador to claim that the UK is “directly involved” in the war. France, however, has been more reserved regarding its Scalp missiles, with no public reports of their use on Russian targets.
Amid these developments, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for security guarantees from allies as a precondition for peace negotiations. Trump’s proposed “peace plan” for Ukraine, leaked earlier this month, suggests freezing the front line and creating a demilitarized zone without U.S. forces participating in peacekeeping efforts.
A Trump team official told The Wall Street Journal: “The gun barrel will be pointed at Europe. Let the Polish, Germans, British, and French handle it. Americans won’t be keeping the peace or footing the bill.”
French defense expert Elie Tenenbaum suggested that Western troops might only be deployed post-ceasefire to secure Ukraine and ensure Russian compliance. These forces would likely operate without NATO’s Article 5 guarantees but under a newly designed air and naval protection framework. Positioned in eastern Ukraine, they would act as a deterrent to further Russian aggression, following a “hedgehog” or “tripwire” model.
With the U.S. scaling back and Germany politically gridlocked, France and the UK, as Europe’s only nuclear powers, are poised to take leading roles, potentially alongside Baltic, Polish, and Scandinavian forces.
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