Starmer flags sending British troops to Ukraine
By Rob Harris
Berlin: British troops would form a key part of allied peacekeeping forces in Ukraine if there is a deal to end the war with Russia, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said, as Europe braces for a potentially decisive week over its future security.
Europe’s most powerful leaders will gather in Paris on Monday for crisis talks on Ukraine and the future of European defence, sparked by US President Donald Trump’s decision to open peace talks with Russia without them.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says he is prepared to send British troops as part of a Ukraine peacekeeping force.Credit: Getty Images
Writing in London’s The Telegraph, Starmer said for the first time he was prepared to put “our own troops on the ground if necessary” into a peacekeeping force in Ukraine. Starmer also said the United Kingdom was “ready to play a leading role” in Ukraine’s defence and security, by committing £3 billion ($6 billion) a year until 2030.
“I do not say that lightly. I feel very deeply the responsibility that comes with potentially putting British servicemen and women in harm’s way,” Starmer said.
“But any role in helping to guarantee Ukraine’s security is helping to guarantee the security of our continent and the security of this country. The end of this war, when it comes, cannot merely become a temporary pause before Putin attacks again.”
French President Emmanuel Macron has rallied senior European figures, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Starmer, to the hastily arranged Paris summit to discuss Ukraine’s next steps.
It will take place as the United States sends senior officials to Saudi Arabia for peace talks with Russia – to which representatives from Europe have not been invited. It is unclear if Ukraine will take part, however, a delegation from Ukraine is in Saudi Arabia to pave the way for a possible visit from President Volodymyr Zelensky, a Ukrainian official reportedly said on Sunday (Monday AEDT).
Britain and other European countries have been divided over the viability of deploying a large-scale peacekeeping force to Ukraine. While the UK, France and the Nordic states support the idea of a Europe-led initiative to send tens of thousands of troops in the event of a ceasefire deal, Germany and others have been opposed.
The Baltic states and Poland were reported by The Times last month to be concerned that the proposed mission could divert much-needed resources from NATO’s border states with Russia, leaving them exposed.
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong refused to rule out military involvement after high-level meetings with their counterparts in London in late December.
Allied nations have reportedly been sceptical as to whether Europe could generate a force large enough – without US support – to stop Russia from mounting a new attack once it had had time to rebuild its military.
Zelensky previously said it would have to be 200,000 strong, which in reality would mean having 600,000 troops either deployed to Ukraine, preparing to go or in recovery.
Diplomatic sources say a United Nations peacekeeping force made up of troops from countries such as India, Bangladesh and China could be more achievable and more likely to secure the agreement of Russian President Vladimir Putin. This could involve some 100,000 peacekeepers positioned inside both Ukraine and Russia and would not require any direct US involvement.
Meanwhile, representatives from the Trump administration are travelling to Saudi Arabia for peace talks with Russia. The discussions are expected to begin in Riyadh on Tuesday, according to Russian newspaper Kommersant.
Trump’s push for a quick way out of Russia’s war on Ukraine has stirred concern from European leaders. After a recent phone call with Putin, Trump has on multiple occasions said he and the Russian president would meet soon to discuss a Ukraine peace deal.
He has assured Zelensky he will have a seat at the table, but it is unclear if European officials will be invited. Zelensky has previously said he will not accept any negotiations that do not include his country.
With agencies
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