France and the United Kingdom are moving forward with plans to establish a substantial joint military force that could be deployed in Ukraine following a ceasefire, French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed on Thursday. Designed to guarantee adherence to any future peace agreement, the proposed force may include up to 50,000 troops and could serve as the nucleus of a wider European-led stabilization effort.

Speaking alongside UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Macron explained that the force, originally conceived at the brigade level, will now be scaled up significantly.

"We are increasing the number of these combined forces from the brigade level to the army corps level, meaning they will be able to number up to 50,000 troops capable of being involved in a major clash. They will also be able to include other European partners and be put at the disposal of NATO," Macron said at a joint press conference.

This upgrade transforms the French-UK Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF) into a corps-level formation capable of land, air, and maritime operations. The initiative builds upon a broader effort, spearheaded by France, to form a "coalition of the willing" that could take on post-conflict responsibilities in Ukraine. According to Macron, this coalition will not replace Ukrainian forces or act as a traditional peacekeeping mission, but will instead serve as a deterrent and stabilizer in the event of a ceasefire.

"The UK-French initiative would be neither a replacement for Ukrainian troops nor a peacekeeping force," he reiterated.

UK Prime Minister Starmer added that the coalition headquarters has already been established in Paris, and the development of the command structure is ongoing. A coordination cell is also expected to be created in Kiev.

Postwar military blueprint

The force is part of a broader strategy to reduce European reliance on the United States for regional defense. During a summit in Paris earlier this year, Macron noted that several countries expressed interest in contributing troops under this framework. The presence of US delegates at the recent Rome meeting, attended by Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg and US lawmakers, signals growing transatlantic interest, although Washington has not formally joined the initiative.

Macron has framed the plan as a necessary step for European strategic autonomy, particularly as US attention shifts increasingly toward the Indo-Pacific. Starmer echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the need for a credible European military presence to uphold any ceasefire agreement with Russia.

Still, the proposal has provoked strong opposition from Moscow. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned in February that the presence of NATO-aligned forces on Ukrainian soil would be "unacceptable" to Russia, signaling the potential for renewed confrontation.

Read more: Western arms undermine peace, talks await Kiev's response: Kremlin