Starmer proposes to send British troops to Ukraine as part of a peace agreement
Prime Minister Keir Starmer provided British troops on Sunday to help keep Ukraine safe as part of any peace deal as he and other European leaders are eager to coordinate President Trump with Russia on ending the Ukrainian war response to the talks.
Mr Starmer wrote in an article published in the Daily Telegraph on Sunday that he was “ready and willing to contribute to Ukraine’s security assurance in order to put his troops on the scene if necessary.”
This is the first time Mr Starmer has made it clear that he is considering sending British troops to Ukraine. It was on the eve of an emergency meeting of European leaders in Paris on Monday in response to Mr. Trump’s reconciliation – which seemed to leave Europe and Ukraine without a clear role in the process.
Mr Starmer wrote in the article that he did not easily invade the British army. But, “If we are to stop further aggression by Putin in the future, it is crucial to ensure a lasting peace that safeguards its sovereignty in Ukraine,” he wrote.
Mr Starmer added: “The end of this war is until Putin attacks again and cannot be just a temporary pause.”
U.S. and Russian officials are expected to meet in Saudi Arabia this week to begin talks aimed at ending the war. The discussion is said to be preliminary. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that it would include Ukraine and Europe if there was an opportunity to have a “wider dialogue”.
But the negotiations highlighted that Mr. Trump had an accelerated timetable to end the war with a deal, and he seemed determined to negotiate bilaterally with Russia, at least for now. Ukraine confirmed on Sunday that it would not participate in the discussions in Saudi Arabia.
The meeting in Paris on Monday will include Mr Starmer and leaders from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark, as well as senior EU and NATO officials. Leaders say they will discuss war and European security.
Mr Starmer wrote in his article that he would urge other leaders to increase military spending and play a greater role in NATO. He added that Ukraine’s path to joining NATO was “irreversible”.
Mr Stemmer, who is expected to meet President Trump in the coming weeks, wrote that Europe and the United States must continue to work closely to ensure a lasting peace deal. “The security assurance of the United States is crucial to lasting peace, because only the United States can stop Putin from attacking again,” he wrote.
