UK and France agree to deploy forces to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal – as it happened

This “reassurance force” of measures is just “what happens after a ceasefire, rather than being a means to getting to one”, points out analyst Matthew Savill, from the London-based Royal United Services Institute defence and security think tank. “European countries an the US would ideally be increasing support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia to get to a deal, otherwise this post-ceasefire work will only exist on paper,” he tells the Guardian.“The Coalition of the Willing has been sustained as an idea and military planning for some time now, to provide to reassurance to Ukraine and a means of demonstrating European investment – ‘skin in the game’ – to a sceptical US,” says Mr Savill from Rusi.“But it has to start producing more concrete outcomes in terms of US involvement, security guarantees, and European participation, otherwise it will just look like a talking shop.”