Britain’s Starmer says UK ready to deploy peacekeepers to Ukraine ‘if necessary’

Britain is ready to send troops on the ground to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping mission should a ceasefire in the Russo-Ukrainian war be sealed, its Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated in an exclusive column for London-based The Telegraph.

“The UK is ready to play a leading role in accelerating work on security guarantees for Ukraine,” the article reads.

This includes continued support for Ukrainian forces, with Britain already allocating 3 billion pounds ($3.78 billion) yearly for military aid through 2030.

“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,” Starmer writes.

It is the first time a British prime minister has openly discussed the possibility of deploying peacekeepers to Ukraine. 

His statement comes ahead of an urgent summit of European leaders, initiated by French President Emmanuel Macron, in Paris on Feb. 17. Meanwhile Sweden’s foreign minister stated on the same day that Stockholm isn’t ruling out the possibility of sending a post-war peacekeeping contingent as well. 

“This is the moment for us all to step up, and the UK will do so because it is the right thing to do for the values and freedoms we hold dear, and because it is fundamental to our own national security,” the text reads.

London could play a “unique role” as a bridge between Europe and the U.S. in the peace process regarding Russia’s war on Ukraine, Starmer said.

“These crucial days ahead will determine the future security of our continent. As I will say in Paris, peace comes through strength. But the reverse is also true. Weakness leads to war,” the British prime minister said.

The end of Russia’s war against Ukraine must not be merely a temporary pause before another attack by Putin, he added.

French President Macron initiated the emergency summit of European leaders in Paris to discuss the situation in Europe following recent misgiving statements from the administration of the U.S. President Donald Trump, according to Politico.