French and UK military advisors to visit Ukraine for talks on 'reassurance force'

French and UK military advisors will visit Ukraine in the coming days for discussions on the 'reassurance force' that has been proposed by Paris and London.

Emmanuel Macron said at the conclusion of the Ukraine conference that the teams of military representatives would be assessing ongoing support and training for the Ukrainian armed forces.

The French President added that they would also examine what kind of equipment and hardware the force would require and the total numbers of soldiers who would be deployed by what's been described as the "coalition of the willing."

The news that military advisers will travel to Ukraine is a sign that the UK and France want to maintain the momentum behind their plan to potentially send thousands of troops to support Ukraine in what the French president described as a "dissuasive" capacity to deter any further future Russian aggression.

Such a deployment would only take place after any eventual peace deal is agreed.

Macron was speaking after he hosted a Ukraine support summit in Paris on Thursday.

The French president also argued against any easing of restrictions on Russia at the moment. Moscow has reportedly asked for sanctions-relief in return for complying with the conditions of the proposed Black Sea ceasefire.

"In terms of short-term support for Ukraine, we also unanimously agreed that the time is not yet right for lifting sanctions, of any kind," said Macron.

"There can be no policy of sanction relief before peace is clearly established. We therefore intend to maintain economic pressure, particularly on ghost fleets and certain industrial capacities. We will continue to focus our efforts on this."

The UK Prime Minister also spoke following the conclusion of the summit. Keir Starmer said there was strong resolve among all the allies who gathered on Thursday that countries should in fact be increasing sanctions on Russia now to force Moscow to the table.

"This is Europe mobilizing together behind the peace process on a scale that we haven't seen for decades," said Starmer.

"Backed by partners from around the world, we are determined to deliver a just and lasting peace, because we know that it is vital for Ukraine and Europe as a whole. And I am clear that it's also vital for Britain."