France and the United Kingdom are now preparing to send a markedly smaller military presence to Ukraine than previously discussed, according to sources cited by The Times.

Journalists report that London and Paris are weighing the deployment of up to 15,000 troops combined if a peace agreement is reached. This figure falls well short of the numbers that had circulated publicly in recent months and that Kyiv and its partners had come to expect.

At an earlier stage, British officials had floated the idea of dispatching around 10,000 service members. However, the Ministry of Defence later concluded that such a commitment would be impractical, largely because of limited manpower. The total strength of the United Kingdom’s armed forces stands at roughly 71,000 trained personnel, which sharply constrains its ability to sustain a large overseas mission.

As a result, two sources told The Times that London is now prepared to contribute fewer than 7,500 troops, with the remainder of the proposed contingent expected to come from France.

According to the newspaper, British and French forces in Ukraine would not be tasked with frontline combat. Instead, their role would focus on maintaining military equipment, training Ukrainian personnel, and constructing defensive infrastructure.

The issue was also addressed politically after a summit held in Paris on January 6. Following the meeting, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer indicated that London and Paris plan to establish military bases across Ukraine once active hostilities have ended.