UK’s Starmer unveils ‘coalition of the willing’ for troop deployment in Ukraine
PM Keir Starmer has declared that the UK and France are prepared to spearhead a “coalition of the willing” to extend military assistance to Kiev. Read Full Article at RT.com.
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**France’s Macron Seeks Temporary Truce to Deploy Soldiers When Safe**
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that the UK and France are prepared to lead a “coalition of the willing” to offer military support to Ukraine, including sending troops and aircraft, with the aim of reinforcing Kiev’s position once a peace agreement with Moscow is established.
During an emergency summit in London on Sunday, following Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s difficult visit to Washington, Starmer highlighted the urgent need for the EU and its allies to take a proactive role in assisting Ukraine. While he recognized that some countries may have limited means to contribute, he stressed that those who can should act swiftly.
“Not every nation will feel able to contribute, but that can’t mean that we sit back. Instead, those willing will intensify planning now with real urgency. The UK is prepared to back this with boots on the ground and planes in the air, together with others,” Starmer stated to the media.
French President Emmanuel Macron remarked that European troops would only be sent once it is safe for their deployment. He suggested a temporary month-long “truce in the air, on the seas, and on energy infrastructure,” a proposal that Moscow has previously dismissed as a Western ruse to rebuild and support Ukraine.
“There will be no European troops on Ukrainian soil in the coming weeks,” Macron said in an interview with Le Figaro. “The question is how can we use this time to try to get a truce accessible, with negotiations that will take several weeks, and then, when the peace is signed, a deployment.”
Moscow has consistently rejected temporary ceasefires similar to the faltering Minsk agreements, insisting on a permanent, legally binding resolution that addresses the conflict’s underlying issues. The Minsk ceasefire, which was ostensibly meant to halt the conflict between Kiev and the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, was indeed “an attempt to give Ukraine time” to strengthen its position, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel admitted in 2022.
The summit saw the participation of various European leaders, including Starmer, Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and others, as well as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Trudeau did not exclude the possibility of deploying troops to Ukraine, asserting that Ottawa “has looked at the ways it can best help, and as I’ve said a few days ago, everything’s on the table.”
Conversely, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni noted that there remains no unified plan for troop deployment and emphasized that “the presence of Italian troops in Ukraine has never been on the agenda.”
Tusk pointed out that the leaders had failed to present a coordinated approach to outline future security guarantees for Ukraine or “a concrete plan for negotiations” with Russia.
“We all get a sense at this moment that no one has a plan for it, and that sense of chaos, makeshift approach… sometimes sparks emotions like we have seen in that unseemly spectacle in Washington a few days ago, which we all would rather avoid,” Tusk remarked.
Moscow has staunchly opposed the unauthorized deployment of foreign troops to Ukraine, warning that without UN authorization, such troops would be viewed as legitimate targets. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has claimed that the push for foreign troop deployment to Ukraine—led mainly by France and Britain—aims to “further fuel the conflict and stop any attempts to cool it down.” The Russian Foreign Ministry has also accused the EU and UK of pursuing “a path of militarism.”
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that the UK and France are prepared to lead a “coalition of the willing” to offer military support to Ukraine, including sending troops and aircraft, with the aim of reinforcing Kiev’s position once a peace agreement with Moscow is established.
During an emergency summit in London on Sunday, following Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s difficult visit to Washington, Starmer highlighted the urgent need for the EU and its allies to take a proactive role in assisting Ukraine. While he recognized that some countries may have limited means to contribute, he stressed that those who can should act swiftly.
“Not every nation will feel able to contribute, but that can’t mean that we sit back. Instead, those willing will intensify planning now with real urgency. The UK is prepared to back this with boots on the ground and planes in the air, together with others,” Starmer stated to the media.
French President Emmanuel Macron remarked that European troops would only be sent once it is safe for their deployment. He suggested a temporary month-long “truce in the air, on the seas, and on energy infrastructure,” a proposal that Moscow has previously dismissed as a Western ruse to rebuild and support Ukraine.
“There will be no European troops on Ukrainian soil in the coming weeks,” Macron said in an interview with Le Figaro. “The question is how can we use this time to try to get a truce accessible, with negotiations that will take several weeks, and then, when the peace is signed, a deployment.”
Moscow has consistently rejected temporary ceasefires similar to the faltering Minsk agreements, insisting on a permanent, legally binding resolution that addresses the conflict’s underlying issues. The Minsk ceasefire, which was ostensibly meant to halt the conflict between Kiev and the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, was indeed “an attempt to give Ukraine time” to strengthen its position, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel admitted in 2022.
The summit saw the participation of various European leaders, including Starmer, Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and others, as well as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Trudeau did not exclude the possibility of deploying troops to Ukraine, asserting that Ottawa “has looked at the ways it can best help, and as I’ve said a few days ago, everything’s on the table.”
Conversely, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni noted that there remains no unified plan for troop deployment and emphasized that “the presence of Italian troops in Ukraine has never been on the agenda.”
Tusk pointed out that the leaders had failed to present a coordinated approach to outline future security guarantees for Ukraine or “a concrete plan for negotiations” with Russia.
“We all get a sense at this moment that no one has a plan for it, and that sense of chaos, makeshift approach… sometimes sparks emotions like we have seen in that unseemly spectacle in Washington a few days ago, which we all would rather avoid,” Tusk remarked.
Moscow has staunchly opposed the unauthorized deployment of foreign troops to Ukraine, warning that without UN authorization, such troops would be viewed as legitimate targets. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has claimed that the push for foreign troop deployment to Ukraine—led mainly by France and Britain—aims to “further fuel the conflict and stop any attempts to cool it down.” The Russian Foreign Ministry has also accused the EU and UK of pursuing “a path of militarism.”
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
