The Times: UK, France backing away from sending peacekeepers to Ukraine

The resolve of the UK and France to deploy peacekeeping forces to Ukraine is showing signs of softening, amid escalating tensions between Washington and Kyiv over the terms of a potential peace agreement with Moscow.

Despite initial proposals for a “coalition of the willing” to stabilise post-conflict Ukraine, diplomatic sources at this week’s summit in London told The Times that British and French officials are increasingly wary of placing troops on the ground — a move Russia is likely to interpret as biased and provocative rather than neutral peacekeeping.

A UK defence source reaffirmed that Britain is not prepared to drop its security commitments to Ukraine, but acknowledged the difficulty of convincing Moscow to accept a European presence east of the Dnipro. France, under President Emmanuel Macron, has been more cautious in recent briefings, despite earlier signalling support for troop deployment.

The uncertainty comes as President Donald Trump steps up efforts to finalise a peace deal with Russia and Ukraine, pushing Kyiv to make sweeping territorial concessions. In a volatile outburst on Truth Social, Trump criticised President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for jeopardising talks by rejecting any recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea — a key US demand that Kyiv insists violates its constitution.

“We are very close to a deal, but the man with ‘no cards to play’ should now, finally, GET IT DONE,” Trump posted, referring to Zelenskyy. He later told reporters at the White House, “I think we have a deal with Russia. We have to get a deal with Zelenskyy… So far, it’s been harder [than with Putin], but that’s okay.”

Trump confirmed that US negotiators had been withdrawn from the London talks and hinted at a forthcoming meeting with Vladimir Putin, potentially after his scheduled trip to Saudi Arabia in mid-May. According to reports, US special envoy Steve Witkoff will instead travel to Moscow for high-level discussions on April 25.

The US has floated a one-page “final offer” to Ukrainian negotiators, proposing to freeze the conflict along current front lines. This would effectively grant Russia control of occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, and Luhansk, while cementing the Kremlin’s hold over Crimea. In exchange, Ukraine would receive “robust security guarantees” from European allies, though the scope of those guarantees remains unclear, and a promise of eased US sanctions on Russia.

Vice President JD Vance previously warned that the US would “walk away” if neither side accepted the deal, underscoring the administration’s impatience. “Ukraine and Russia will probably have to give up some of the territory they currently own,” he said.

Zelenskyy, who has refused to accept the terms, said on April 23 that “there’s nothing to talk about” regarding Crimea. “Ukraine does not legally recognise the occupation of Crimea. This is against our constitution.”

His remarks prompted Trump to lash out again, blaming former President Barack Obama for the 2014 annexation and accusing Zelenskyy of making “inflammatory” statements that complicate diplomacy.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian cities remain under fire. Russian missiles struck both Kyiv and Kharkiv overnight, injuring at least five people and trapping residents beneath rubble in the capital’s Sviatoshynskyi district. Nine civilians were also killed in a separate drone strike on a bus in Marhanets, prompting Zelenskyy to condemn the attack as a “brutal war crime.”

Despite the escalating pressure, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, reiterated that Kyiv would “never surrender” and would not cede Crimea to Moscow.

By Aghakazim Guliyev