British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has stated that London and Brussels must actively participate in providing security guarantees for Kiev.
Following discussions with US President Donald Trump in Washington, Keir Starmer has asserted that the UK and EU should be involved in a Ukrainian peace settlement, including a troop presence. This comes as the US has initiated peace talks with Russia, seemingly excluding the EU and UK.
Starmer and Trump convened at the White House on Thursday to discuss a plan for achieving lasting peace in Ukraine.
”The European countries, including the United Kingdom, need to play a full part in that,” Starmer stated in a Fox News interview.
He emphasized that London would take “a leading part,” potentially involving “troops on the ground… or possible air, maritime work” in collaboration with the EU. The UK and France have previously indicated their willingness to deploy peacekeeping forces to Ukraine to secure any peace agreement with Russia.
However, Trump has suggested that Washington does not intend to send US forces to support a European-led peacekeeping mission, believing that Russian President Vladimir Putin can be trusted to uphold the eventual agreement.
Moscow has voiced opposition to the deployment of unauthorized troops to Ukraine, warning that they would be considered legitimate targets without a UN mandate.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has attributed the push for foreign troops in Ukraine primarily to France and Britain, suggesting it aims to “further fuel the conflict and stop any attempts to cool it down.” The Foreign Ministry has also accused the EU and UK of embracing “on a path of militarism.”
Since the conflict escalated three years ago, Britain has been a strong supporter of Ukraine, providing significant military aid and imposing strict sanctions on Russia. As of February, London has pledged nearly $10 billion in military assistance to Kiev.
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