The Times: Britain and France to send fewer troops to Ukraine than expected

The UK and France will send up to 15,000 soldiers to Ukraine if a peace agreement is reached, which is much less than expected. The actual number of troops may be much lower, said The Times, citing military and diplomatic sources.

The publication notes that the British military leadership had previously proposed sending up to 10,000 British soldiers as part of a broader "coalition of volunteers" totaling 64,000 people. However, the UK Ministry of Defense recognized this figure as unacceptable given the current number of troops.

According to two military interlocutors, fewer than 7,500 British troops may actually be deployed. Even this number is considered large for a country with about 71,000 trained soldiers in the regular army.

France is currently the only other country that has publicly committed to sending troops directly to Ukraine. French troops are expected to make up the remainder of the contingent and will be deployed in the relatively safe western regions, far from the front line.

Several interlocutors suggested that even the total figure of 15,000 troops is optimistic. According to one of them, Germany is ready to deploy troops only near Ukraine, in particular in Poland or Romania.

The interlocutors emphasize that the size of the contingent will depend on the specific terms of the peace agreement. The final number has not yet been determined.

According to the plans, British and French troops are to help train the Ukrainian army and oversee the construction of facilities for storing weapons and equipment.

• january 6, Ukraine, France and the United Kingdom signed the declaration on intentions for the future deployment of multinational forces.