Egypt Daily News – French President Emmanuel Macron announced that a potential Franco-British joint military force intended for deployment in Ukraine following a future ceasefire, could reach up to 50,000 troops. The statement was made during a joint press conference with newly elected British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Paris on Thursday.
“We’re working to scale this joint force from a brigade to a corps, enabling it to comprise as many as 50,000 soldiers,” Macron said. “It will be capable of operating in large-scale conflict scenarios and open to participation from other European partners. It will also be available for NATO deployment.”
A “Coalition of the Willing”
Macron described the Franco-British Expeditionary Force as the foundation of a potential international peacekeeping mission to enforce a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine. Prime Minister Starmer added that the headquarters of what has been dubbed the “Coalition of the Willing” is already operational in Paris, though final command structures are still being completed.
The plan stems from discussions held during the Paris summit of the Coalition of the Willing on March 27, where Macron stated that several countries were prepared to send “deterrence forces” to Ukraine, pre-positioned in strategic locations in coordination with Kyiv.
Macron acknowledged that not all European allies are on board with the initiative but emphasized that unanimous approval is not required for implementation.
Russian Reaction: “Provocative” and “Unacceptable”
The Russian government has rejected the idea outright. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow sees no room for negotiation regarding the deployment of foreign peacekeeping troops in Ukraine.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry previously described the European proposal as a “provocative act” aimed at fueling false hopes within the Ukrainian leadership.
