Britain, France eye 'reassurance force' for Ukraine: reports

Britain and France are spearheading attempts to create a European "reassurance force" of fewer than 30,000 troops to protect Ukraine after any ceasefire deal with Russia, UK media reported Thursday.

Speaking to AFP, a French source close to the discussions partially confirmed the reports, saying France was working with European countries to ensure security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire agreement.

The UK-France proposal -- attributed to unnamed western officials -- would likely focus on air and maritime defence, with "minimal" forces on the ground and none near the eastern frontline, the Guardian newspaper said.

The Times reported that a so-called US backstop in the form of "air cover" would be essential to the plan, which would seek to deter Russia from violating any agreement.

"The area we have a significant advantage over Russia is in the air and in (our) ability to respond to flagrant abuses of a ceasefire," the Financial Times quoted a western official as saying.

It is unclear whether the considerations would satisfy Kyiv or be acceptable to Moscow.

"We are talking about a deployment that would take place after a ceasefire," a French source close to the discussions told AFP on condition of anonymity.

France would be in a "supporting" role, the source said.

"The idea is to deploy soldiers to the second line, not on the front line facing the Russians. It could be combined with a multinational operation with non-European contingents who would be on the front line," the source added.