Britain and France are preparing thousands of European troops for a potential deployment to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire with Russia.

Around 2,800 military personnel from 11 countries are participating in an exercise in Poland designed to test the readiness of a proposed multinational force for Ukraine, according to the British government.

The exercise will focus on command structures, logistics and coordination between participating countries ahead of any possible future deployment.

No ceasefire agreement has been reached between Russia and Ukraine, and European governments have not authorized troops to enter the country.

However, Britain and France have spent months developing plans for a European-led force that could be deployed following an agreement to end or suspend the fighting.

Under proposals previously discussed by European officials, troops would help secure Ukraine and deter Russia from launching another attack.

European forces could also be authorized to defend themselves if attacked by Russian troops.

The prospect raises the possibility of British and French soldiers coming into direct combat with Russian forces if a future ceasefire were to collapse.

Britain’s military would face significant demands from such an operation.

The regular British Army currently has just 74,000 personnel and has struggled with recruitment and retention in recent years.

France has a considerably larger military and, like Britain, possesses nuclear weapons and extensive experience with overseas deployments.

Both countries, however, have historically relied heavily on the U.S. for capabilities including intelligence, surveillance, strategic transport and logistics during major NATO operations.

President Trump has repeatedly ruled out deploying American ground troops to Ukraine, arguing any peacekeeping efforts should be led by European governments.

An attack on British or French forces stationed inside Ukraine would also raise complicated questions about NATO’s collective defense provisions.

Ukraine is not a NATO member, and an attack on NATO troops operating on Ukrainian territory would not necessarily trigger an automatic alliance-wide military response.

For now, the proposed force remains contingency planning.

But the upcoming exercise in Poland represents another step toward preparing European forces for a possible deployment if Russia and Ukraine eventually reach a ceasefire.

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