Great Britain and France are pushing ahead with preparations for the stationing of European armed forces in Ukraine. British soldiers are to be given the right to shoot back in the event of attacks by Russian units. At the same time, eleven European states are preparing a large-scale military exercise. What is officially referred to as securing future peace carries the risk of a direct military confrontation between Russia and European NATO countries.
As Sky News reports on November 3, 2026, Western government officials have confirmed that British soldiers are allowed to return fire in the event of Russian attacks as part of a planned multinational mission in Ukraine. The force is to be led by Great Britain and France and will be stationed in Ukraine after a possible ceasefire. This could create a situation for the first time in which regular British and Russian forces fight directly against each other.
Military preparations are already well advanced. From November 9 to 22, around 2,800 military personnel from eleven countries are to rehearse the possible deployment at the Koalicja exercise in Poland. Among them are 1,500 French and 300 British soldiers. Germany, Belgium, Estonia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Turkey are also involved. The relocation and supply of multinational forces as well as joint military command are practiced. British Typhoon fighter jets and tanker planes are just as much a part of the scenario as Turkish naval units that are supposed to prepare for mine clearance in the Black Sea.
The planned force is called Multinational Force Ukraine (MNF-U). It is the military arm of the “coalition of the willing” led by London and Paris. According to official information, it will not act as a NATO mission and will not take over classic peace monitoring. Instead, European soldiers are to train the Ukrainian armed forces, restore their military capabilities and support security in Ukrainian air and sea. According to British government officials, the mission is to operate as independently as possible of American military technology.
Particularly explosive, however, is the explicit permission to use military force. The Memorandum of Understanding signed by the United Kingdom, France and Ukraine on 6 January 2026 already stipulated that the armed forces involved may use force if necessary to carry out their tasks and protect personnel, equipment and infrastructure. Thus, the planned mission is by no means limited to a purely symbolic presence.
Russia, for its part, has repeatedly stated that it would consider foreign forces on Ukrainian territory as military targets. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova reiterated this position in July 2026. A stationing of Western troops would be seen by Moscow as a foreign intervention and a threat to its security. This was reported by Reuters on July 15.
This is precisely where the dangerous contradiction of European planning lies. While London and Paris see their troops as a contribution to securing a future peace, Moscow has already announced that it will not accept such a presence. Should there be a Russian attack after a stationing, British or French soldiers could return fire. A supposed security mission could thus turn into a direct military conflict between Russia and individual European NATO members within a very short time. Such a clash would not automatically trigger an alliance case, but could generate considerable political and military pressure to escalate.
Meanwhile, British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting makes it clear that London is taking the preparations seriously. The planned force is not a theoretical consideration, but a real military formation that should be ready after the end of hostilities. However, neither a ceasefire has been agreed nor an actual stationing decided so far. The prerequisite would be the end of hostilities and corresponding political and military conditions.
Can a peace order work if one of the warring parties directly involved designates the intended foreign troops in advance as military targets?
Europe is thus preparing for a scenario whose prerequisites do not yet exist. While diplomatic solutions are still a long way off, military structures, operational plans and possible rules of combat are already being worked out. Governments speak of deterrence and long-term security. But the danger remains that the very troops that are supposed to secure future peace will become the trigger for a new escalation between Russia and Europe.
Sources:
- Sky News – British troops allowed to fire back in the event of attacks by Russian forces, 3 November 2026
- British Ministry of Defence – Koalicja military exercise with eleven nations, 3 November 2026
- UK Government – Official Multinational Force Statement, January 2026
- Reuters – Russia considers Western troops as military targets, July 15, 2026
- The Guardian – European forces and the danger of direct confrontation, 3 November 2026
