The UK and France have agreed to jointly train Ukrainian marines and supply weapons to Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invading forces. The move is designed to put Kyiv in the "strongest
possible position" to negotiate a ceasefire, according to UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
The announcement was made during a UK-France summit, where both leaders said the immediate priority was to bolster Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's forces and allow them to "mount a successful counter-offensive." The training of marines and pilots was first announced in February during Mr. Zelensky's visit to Britain. The joint declaration from the summit at the Elysee Palace will see France join Britain in preparing marines for the drive to purge Ukraine of Russian troops.
Mr. Sunak argued that a successful counter-punch would allow the Ukrainians to enter any potential future negotiations with Moscow from a position of strength. He also said that the agreement would "help to give Ukraine a decisive advantage on the battlefield and for Ukraine to win this war." He emphasized that "our job is to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position, and that is what our conversations today have been about."
The UK and France have also committed to developing precision strike weapons to combat Russian aggression in Europe. Downing Street said no timeframe had been set for when the Ministry of Defence (MOD) hoped the weapons could be operational.
The first Anglo-French summit since 2018 also saw a plan unveiled for increased allied activity in the Indo-Pacific. No 10 said it will include establishing France and the UK as the "backbone" to a permanent European maritime presence there. The approach will include coordinating regular deployment of France's Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier and the UK's HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales carriers.
Discussions between Defense Secretary Ben Wallace and his French counterpart also involved further integration of the UK and French armed forces, intelligence sharing, and future interoperability of weapons, according to the MOD. "We have agreed to strengthen our defense and security partnership, committing to look at areas of cooperation to increase the interoperability of our joint defense capabilities – and to advance key projects to develop complex weapons systems," Mr. Wallace said.
Mr. Sunak was asked during his trip on the Eurostar to the French capital whether he agreed with Mr. Macron's statement that Ukraine should start peace negotiations in the summer. Speaking to reporters, the Prime Minister said the French leader had recognized at the Munich security conference last month that "now is not the time for negotiations", with the West's focus on strengthening Ukraine's battlefield operations and defending its critical national infrastructure.
He continued, "Of course, this will end as all conflicts do, at the negotiating table, but that is a decision for Ukraine to make. And what we need to do is put them in the best possible place to have those talks at an appropriate moment that makes sense for them. But at the moment, the priority has got to be giving them the resources, the training, and the support they need to push forward and create advantage on the battlefield." Photo by HM Treasury and The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP, Wikimedia commons.