UK 'ready' for troop deployment in Ukraine, says PM
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has declared that the UK is prepared to take a "leading role" in offering security guarantees to Kiev. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Keir Starmer has underscored the notion of “deep responsibility” when it comes to the potential risk for British personnel.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has declared that the UK is prepared to assume a “leading role” in providing security guarantees to Kiev and could send troops to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping mission if a ceasefire agreement with Russia is reached.
In a piece for The Telegraph published on Sunday, Starmer characterized the Ukraine conflict as a “once-in-a-generation moment” and an “existential” issue for Europe, which supports the rationale for potentially deploying British personnel.
“The UK is ready to play a leading role in accelerating work on security guarantees for Ukraine… 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,” the Prime Minister stated.
“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,” he articulated. “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.”
Starmer’s announcement is timed with European leaders set to meet in Paris on Monday for urgent discussions, a gathering prompted by US President Donald Trump’s recent advocacy for a peace deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin and rising worries over a possible decrease in US defense commitments in Europe.
On Wednesday, Trump caught Washington’s European allies off guard with an extensive phone call to Putin to explore possible resolutions for the Ukraine conflict. Following this, the US State Department reportedly circulated a document containing six questions aimed at evaluating European nations' readiness to commit to a long-term security arrangement for Kiev.
“One of the questions was: If third-country military forces were to be deployed to Ukraine as part of a peace arrangement, what would you consider to be the necessary size of such a European-led force?” according to Reuters. Another inquiry asked: “What additional capabilities, equipment, and maintenance sustainment options is your Government prepared to provide to Ukraine to improve its negotiating hand and increase pressure on Russia?”
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky claimed in January that Kiev requires “at least” 200,000 European soldiers as peacekeepers to enforce any potential agreement with Russia. However, analysts cited by the New York Times noted that this number is likely unattainable, asserting that even deploying 40,000 troops would prove challenging.
The Trump administration has consistently indicated its intention to reduce US involvement once a potential truce is established, preferring to transfer the financial and logistical responsibilities of supporting Kiev to regional allies.
“To be clear, as part of any security guarantee, there will not be US troops deployed to Ukraine,” US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth remarked last week during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.
Moscow's permanent representative to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, highlighted last week that any peacekeeping force requires a mandate from the UN Security Council to operate legally. Senior Russian diplomat Rodion Miroshnik previously cautioned that “any contingent entering the territory of Ukraine without the consent and permission of Russia is a military target, with quite understandable consequences.”
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has declared that the UK is prepared to assume a “leading role” in providing security guarantees to Kiev and could send troops to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping mission if a ceasefire agreement with Russia is reached.
In a piece for The Telegraph published on Sunday, Starmer characterized the Ukraine conflict as a “once-in-a-generation moment” and an “existential” issue for Europe, which supports the rationale for potentially deploying British personnel.
“The UK is ready to play a leading role in accelerating work on security guarantees for Ukraine… 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,” the Prime Minister stated.
“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,” he articulated. “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.”
Starmer’s announcement is timed with European leaders set to meet in Paris on Monday for urgent discussions, a gathering prompted by US President Donald Trump’s recent advocacy for a peace deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin and rising worries over a possible decrease in US defense commitments in Europe.
On Wednesday, Trump caught Washington’s European allies off guard with an extensive phone call to Putin to explore possible resolutions for the Ukraine conflict. Following this, the US State Department reportedly circulated a document containing six questions aimed at evaluating European nations' readiness to commit to a long-term security arrangement for Kiev.
“One of the questions was: If third-country military forces were to be deployed to Ukraine as part of a peace arrangement, what would you consider to be the necessary size of such a European-led force?” according to Reuters. Another inquiry asked: “What additional capabilities, equipment, and maintenance sustainment options is your Government prepared to provide to Ukraine to improve its negotiating hand and increase pressure on Russia?”
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky claimed in January that Kiev requires “at least” 200,000 European soldiers as peacekeepers to enforce any potential agreement with Russia. However, analysts cited by the New York Times noted that this number is likely unattainable, asserting that even deploying 40,000 troops would prove challenging.
The Trump administration has consistently indicated its intention to reduce US involvement once a potential truce is established, preferring to transfer the financial and logistical responsibilities of supporting Kiev to regional allies.
“To be clear, as part of any security guarantee, there will not be US troops deployed to Ukraine,” US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth remarked last week during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.
Moscow's permanent representative to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, highlighted last week that any peacekeeping force requires a mandate from the UN Security Council to operate legally. Senior Russian diplomat Rodion Miroshnik previously cautioned that “any contingent entering the territory of Ukraine without the consent and permission of Russia is a military target, with quite understandable consequences.”
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
