Ukraine and its Western partners have agreed on a structured approach to enforcing a potential ceasefire with Russia, according to people familiar with the talks. The arrangement would set out a series of escalating responses if Moscow repeatedly breaches any agreed armistice, and the plan has been discussed multiple times in recent weeks.
Diplomatic sources close to the discussions say the framework was the subject of exchanges in December and January between Ukrainian, European and American officials. The proposal envisions a multi-tiered sequence of measures to address infractions of a ceasefire by Russian forces.
Envoys from Kyiv, Moscow and Washington are scheduled to convene in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday and Thursday for talks intended to seek an end to the war, the people said. The proposed enforcement mechanism would establish clear timeframes for responses should violations occur.
Under the plan, any confirmed breach of a ceasefire would prompt an initial response within 24 hours. That first phase would start with a diplomatic warning and, if required, action by Ukrainian forces to stop the violation. If hostilities continued beyond that step, the proposal would transition to a second phase.
The second phase would bring in forces from a "coalition of the willing," a grouping described by those briefed as including many EU members along with the United Kingdom, Norway, Iceland and Turkey. This phase would be intended to reinforce efforts to halt continued infractions.
Should the attack expand further and persist despite earlier interventions, the plan calls for a third phase - a coordinated response by a Western-backed force that would incorporate U.S. military contributions. That escalation would be triggered 72 hours after the initial breach, according to the outline described by the sources.
The account of the agreement and the outlined timelines come from people briefed on the discussions. The report of the plan could not be immediately verified by independent sources.
Context and implications
The proposed enforcement framework is designed to create predictable thresholds and responses in the event a ceasefire is agreed but then violated. It relies on a graduated structure that allows for rapid initial diplomatic and national military measures, backed by a broader coalition response if violations persist or escalate.