The UK and France have pledged to deploy peacekeeping troops in Ukraine in the event of a peace deal.

Plans for such a move were made last year but have been revived in recent days, with the US backing European allies in vowing to provide security guarantees for Ukraine.

The UK and France have led the idea since its inception, and have now signed a declaration of intent to deploy troops to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal.

In a statement after a key meeting of European leaders to discuss the coalition of the willing on 6 January, Number 10 described it as a "multinational force", though it's unclear if any additional nations will join in putting boots on the ground.

President Vladimir Putin is known to be against having any foreign peacekeeping troops on Ukrainian soil.

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Image: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer in Paris. Pic: AP

What is a coalition of the willing?

Discussions of a coalition of the willing initiative in the past year have ebbed and flowed, but this seems like the closest the idea has come to fruition.

Military analyst Michael Clarke said: "It has to be a coalition of the willing because you have at least two NATO members - Slovakia and Hungary - who are vetoing anything that Putin would not like... it's the same with the EU."

This approach allows NATO members to act in a group but not under the NATO umbrella, avoiding vetoes from member states who don't approve or don't wish to be involved.

The choice of the term "coalition of the willing" is also notable. It's perhaps intended to remind an American audience of a previous use of the same phrase: when the UK, Poland and other countries joined the US invasion of Iraq.

Image: Cars destroyed by a Russian drone strike in a residential area of Dnipro. Pic: Reuters

Which countries are in - or could be?

So far, only the UK and France have pledged peacekeeping troops, and it's possible it stays that way.

Both have powerful militaries and the two nations are also the only countries in Europe with nuclear weapons.

It is notable that France's president Emmanuel Macron originally raised the possibility of French troops in Ukraine in 2024, when he refused to rule it out.

Image: An F-16 aircraft releases flares during a NATO exercise over Poland. Pic: Reuters

While some countries have previously indicated they may - or may not - be willing to send forces to Ukraine as part of the coalition, it has been months since the issue was in the spotlight and it is not entirely clear where things stand now.

Here are some other nations who could contribute peacekeepers in some form, and what they have said on the matter both recently and over the past year.

Turkey

Turkey, which has the second-largest army in NATO, has indicated it is ready to be part of peacekeeping efforts.

Its defence ministry said last year that it was "prepared to contribute" to a post-war international mission.

And following the meeting of the coalition of the willing in January, Turkey's foreign minister Hakan Fidan suggested that his country's navy could be involved in securing the Black Sea.

"The security of the Black Sea, of course, naturally requires Türkiye, as a NATO member with the largest fleet in the Black Sea, to bear responsibility", he said.

Starmer: We are 'closer than ever' to peace in Ukraine.

Spain

Spain could also contribute troops to Ukraine, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said following the meeting of European leaders on 6 January.

"We are prepared to consolidate peace with the presence of the Spanish armed forces. If we have done so in other parts of the world, why wouldn't we do it in Europe?" he stated in comments reported by El Pais.

Mr Sanchez is set to discuss the issue with political groups and explain plans for possible troop deployments.

Finland

Finland's role in any peacekeeping mission is unclear. It's foreign minister previously said the country would "definitely" be part of the coalition, but Prime Minister Petteri Orpo later ruled out Finnish troops being part of combat operations.

Speaking after the coalition meeting on 6 January, Finnish President Alexander Stubb noted that Finland's role was yet to be defined.

Image: Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets Mark Carney in Canada. Pic: Reuters

Canada

Not in Europe but a NATO member, Canada has promised substantial ongoing commitment to any security force, but it's unclear if this would stretch to peacekeeping boots on the ground.

Going into the coalition of the willing meeting, Prime Minister Mark Carney, in comments reported by CBC, spoke of "the largest military build-up in generations" that is under way in his country.

Australia

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese previously said he is "open" to sending troops to Ukraine as peacekeepers.

Speaking on 3 March last year, he said: "There's discussion at the moment about potential peacekeeping, and from my government's perspective, we're open to consideration of any proposals going forward, as Australia has historically played an important role in … a range of peacekeeping areas."

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Image: A Ukrainian soldier launches a reconnaissance drone. Pic: Reuters

Who's out?

Other countries have previously ruled out sending troops to Ukrainian territory, or have pledged to support peacekeeping efforts in other ways.

Speaking last year, Prof Clarke said Poland and Germany are among those not expected to send troops into Ukraine.

Poland

Poland has one of the strongest militaries in Europe and spends well above the NATO defence target.

But it also has a long border with Ukraine and Belarus and is concerned about its own security.

Image: Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk ruled out sending troops into Ukraine. Pic: AP

Speaking on the day of the coalition meeting, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stressed that Poland would play a key role in logistics and organisation to help coordinate support for Ukraine.

But he reaffirmed that there is not an expectation of sending Polish troops into Ukraine itself.

Germany

As the biggest economy in Europe, Germany is a crucial part of any united response to the Ukraine war.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz said his country could join a multinational force to monitor a ceasefire, but with troops based outside of Ukraine.

"Germany will keep contributing politically, financially and militarily. This could for example include deploying forces to Ukraine on neighbouring NATO territory after a ceasefire," he said.

Image: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Pic: AP

Italy

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was among those attending the coalition of the willing meeting on 6 January, and she reiterated her previous position that her country will not deploy boots on the ground.

In a statement after the meeting, the Italian government confirmed its support for Ukraine's security and said the joint statement by leaders at the meeting "reflect principles that Italy has repeatedly reaffirmed".