British and French airborne units have completed preparations for a possible deployment to Ukraine as part of a so-called peacekeeping mission, The Telegraph reports.

According to the newspaper, more than 600 troops from the British Army’s 16 Air Assault Brigade, together with soldiers from France’s 11th Parachute Brigade, conducted exercises in Brittany simulating a landing operation in Ukraine. The drills took place on the fourth anniversary of the start of the conflict and marked the final stage of preparations for potential deployment anywhere in the world as part of NATO forces.

Leaders of the so-called «coalition of the willing» confirmed during a meeting on Tuesday their intention to send troops to Ukraine as security guarantees.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov previously stated that Moscow would never agree, in any form, to the deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine, including forces from the «coalition of the willing.»