British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the U.K. is prepared to send troops to Ukraine as part of security guarantees for a potential ceasefire agreement.
Britain is “ready to play a leading role in accelerating work on security guarantees for Ukraine,” including continued support for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Starmer wrote in The Telegraph on February 16.
“But it also means being ready and willing to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by putting our own troops on the ground if necessary,” he added.
The prime minister acknowledged the risks of sending British troops into a conflict zone, saying he does not take such a decision lightly. But he argued that helping secure Ukraine’s future is also a matter of ensuring the security of the U.K. and Europe.
“The end of this war, when it comes, cannot merely become a temporary pause before Putin attacks again,” Starmer said.
He also called on European nations to increase defense spending and “take on a greater role in NATO.”
This marks the first time Starmer has publicly suggested that Britain might consider deploying peacekeepers in Ukraine. His statement comes ahead of a February 17 meeting in Paris with European leaders, including those from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Denmark, as well as representatives from the European Commission, European Council, and NATO. Starmer said he would discuss any agreements reached in Paris during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, scheduled to take place before the end of February.
European representatives have not been included in the peace talks launched by Donald Trump in mid-February. Trump’s special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, has said he does not see European nations as part of the negotiations.
