UK and France Propose One-Month Truce in Ukraine’s Air, Sea, and Energy Infrastructure

French President Emmanuel Macron revealed that France and the UK proposed a one-month ceasefire “in the air, on the seas”, as well as a moratorium on strikes against energy infrastructure, as part of a new peace plan for Ukraine. The proposal, which does not extend to ground combat, was put forward to both Kyiv and Moscow, according to Le Figaro on March 2.

Macron acknowledged that enforcing a full ceasefire along the front line—which he compared in length to the distance from Paris to Budapest—would be “extremely difficult” to monitor.

However, he described the aerial and naval truce as a first step toward broader peace efforts, adding that European troops could be deployed to Ukraine in the future.

“We can control this. The front line today is as long as the distance from Paris to Budapest. If a ceasefire were implemented, it would be very difficult to verify compliance along such a stretch of territory,” Macron explained.

Macron emphasized that Europe seeks peace—but not at any cost and not without guarantees. He also expressed hopes for a de-escalation of tensions between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

In response to the situation, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer convened an emergency European summit in London, focusing on forming a “coalition of goodwill” to ensure Ukraine’s security after the war ends.

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“London and Paris will present their joint plan for ending hostilities, which was developed alongside Ukraine and possibly one or two other nations,” Starmer stated.

He stressed that for a lasting peace, Ukraine must be in a strong negotiating position, which requires a European security guarantee and U.S. backing.

“This is a package deal—all three elements must be in place,” Starmer emphasized.

Trump had previously claimed that during his February 12 phone call with Vladimir Putin, he suggested a possible ceasefire agreement.

However, Putin reportedly insisted on a permanent cessation of hostilities, arguing that a temporary truce would only lead to renewed fighting in six months.

Later, Russian FM Sergei Lavrov stated that there would be no cessation of hostilities along the contact line in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin has firmly rejected any prospect of European peacekeepers in Ukraine, calling the idea “unacceptable.”

Earlier, Starmer called on the United States to provide a security “backstop” for any future European peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, arguing that only such a measure could guarantee Kyiv a lasting peace rather than a temporary ceasefire.