The UK and France continue to back troop deployment despite having no US ‘backstop’ for the proposed plan
A Franco-British plan to deploy troops from NATO states to Ukraine following a potential truce with Russia is “dead”, an anonymous official has told the Financial Times.
France and the UK, the leading powers in the so-called ‘coalition of the willing’, back deploying troops to Ukraine, ostensibly as a security guarantee for Kiev. Moscow has maintained that it will not tolerate any NATO member's presence in Ukraine under any circumstances.
The US has turned down a request by Kiev's European backers to provide a “backstop” for the proposed mission, with President Donald Trump arguing that America should never have been involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict in the first place.
The official source told the FT the plan is “preposterous without the help of Trump, and he’s not willing to provide it.”
A French diplomat who spoke to the outlet however insisted that ‘coalition’ members are continuing their planning “at normal pace,” however.
The European efforts are, according to the FT, aimed at bolstering morale in Kiev, demonstrating to Trump that they are committed, and trying to influence US-supported peace negotiations between Moscow and Kiev.
Russia and Ukraine resumed direct peace talks this month, abandoned in 2022 by Kiev to pursue victory on the battlefield. The first round of renewed dialogue led to the largest prisoner exchange between the two countries since the conflict escalated more than three years ago.
Moscow is also currently preparing a draft memorandum that includes a conditional ceasefire as part of a road map to a peaceful resolution.
Kiev has accused Moscow of lacking goodwill by rejecting a 30-day unconditional pause in the fighting – a demand Russia has dismissed as a tactic to gain military advantage.
Ukrainian forces have stepped up long-range strikes deep into Russian territory in recent weeks. The Russian military said on Wednesday that it shot down 296 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones over a ten-hour period overnight.
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky said on Tuesday the increase in attacks is a mirror response to Russian operations. Moscow has recently launched several strikes inside Ukraine, reportedly targeting a major kamikaze drone facility in Kiev and other military sites.
Moscow targeted by major Ukrainian drone assault - Videos
Officials say 42 UAVs have been downed near the Russian capital, damaging at least three residential buildings
Ukraine has launched another major drone raid on Moscow and suburban areas, with a total of 42 UAVs being shot down overnight across the entire region, local officials have said. The attack damaged buildings and prompted temporary flight suspensions, but no casualties have been reported.
Air defenses intercepted drones across 12 municipalities in the early hours of Wednesday, according to Moscow Region Governor Andrey Vorobyov. Three residential houses were damaged in Troitskoye, a village in the Chekhov district south of Moscow, Vorobyov said. Emergency services were working at the scene and residents affected by the attack would receive assistance, he added.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin confirmed the drone raid on the Russian capital, which came in several waves starting at around 12:30am.
The Russian Defense Ministry said air defense systems had shot down or intercepted a total of 296 fixed-wing drones across Russia between 9pm on Tuesday and 7am on Wednesday.
The Russian Defense Ministry said air defense systems had shot down or intercepted a total of 296 fixed-wing drones across Russia between 9pm on Tuesday and 7am on Wednesday.
Russia’s aviation regulator said flight operations were temporarily restricted at Moscow’s Domodedovo, Vnukovo, Zhukovsky and Sheremetyevo airports, as well as at regional airports in Vladimir, Ivanovo, Kostroma, and Yaroslavl, to ensure safety. Restrictions were lifted later in the morning.
Russia’s aviation regulator said flight operations were temporarily restricted at Moscow’s Domodedovo, Vnukovo, Zhukovsky and Sheremetyevo airports, as well as at regional airports in Vladimir, Ivanovo, Kostroma, and Yaroslavl, to ensure safety. Restrictions were lifted later in the morning.
In Zelenograd, a district on the northwestern outskirts of Moscow, an explosion shattered the windows at Elma Technopark while a nearby car caught fire, according to pictures shared by the Shot Telegram channel. The outlet also posted a video appearing to show the midair destruction of a UAV.
The drone raid was caught on camera in multiple locations, with clips often featuring drones flying at a low altitude and explosions. A video shared by Baza showed residents in Ramenskoye, outside Moscow, taking cover under trees during the attack.
Ukraine has recently significantly intensified its drone raids on civilian infrastructure deep into Russia. The Russian Defense Ministry has said that the attacks are being supported by Kiev’s sponsors in Europe and are aimed at disrupting the ongoing conflict settlement process. According to the ministry, more than 2,300 drones have been intercepted over the past week, mostly outside the frontline.
Subsequently, Russia has responded with precision strikes targeting exclusively Ukrainian military facilities, including drone production sites, warehouses, airfields, radar stations, and ammunition depots.
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