Ukraine has reached an agreement with Western partners on a plan to respond to potential Russian violations of a future ceasefire, Reuters reported on 3 February, citing the Financial Times.
The announcement comes after months of talks on ceasefire proposals by Ukraine and its Western partners, though Russia has so far shown little interest in the idea.
Three-phase response within 72 hours
Under the plan, any breach of an agreed armistice would trigger an initial response within 24 hours, starting with a diplomatic warning and, if necessary, action by Ukrainian forces to stop the violation.
If the violations persist, a second phase would involve forces from “Coalition of the Willing” countries, which is made up of several European nations.
In the case of a larger escalation, the plan calls for a coordinated Western-backed response involving US forces within 72 hours.
Talks set for Abu Dhabi after months of planning
The multi-tiered proposal was discussed in December and January between Ukrainian, European, and US officials, Reuters said.
Past ceasefire agreements, such as the Minsk accords of 2014-2015, collapsed after repeated Russian violations, underscoring the challenges of enforcing any armistice.
Envoys from Kyiv, Moscow, and Washington are scheduled to meet in Abu Dhabi on 4-5 February for talks aimed at ending the war.
