Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron are discussing the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine as peacekeeping forces after a potential deal to end the war, writes The Telegraph.
The French president has already discussed this idea with Volodymyr Zelensky and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
According to the publication, citing informed sources, the UK Prime Minister has not yet fully supported Macron's proposal, as there is a question of the threat that this military contingent might face.
The proposal came at a time when European leaders are trying to figure out how to continue supporting Ukraine's sovereignty, while President-elect Donald Trump insists that Kyiv reach a peace agreement with Russia.
The public position of the UK government is that Western allies should provide Ukraine with as much support as possible, and the Ukrainians themselves will decide when to conduct peace negotiations.
One of the ideas currently being discussed not only in public debates but also behind closed doors in Westminster is that Western troops might need to guarantee any peace terms, writes The Telegraph. If Russia retains the occupied part of Ukraine, European leaders must develop a plan to ensure that the remaining territory of Ukraine is protected from any future Russian attacks.
Meanwhile, Trump's criticism of deploying troops abroad and his political attacks on financial support for Ukraine indicate that American troops are unlikely to participate in deploying a military contingent in Ukraine, many UK officials believe.
The deployment could involve thousands of British military personnel, while the military has warned that the UK does not have sufficient capacity for warfare. Additionally, it could be perceived by Russia as an escalation. However, the idea of deploying a peacekeeping contingent in Ukraine has been supported by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, former Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, and two former Defense Ministers—Grant Shapps and Sir Gavin Williamson.
On Monday, Macron and Zelensky once again discussed the possibility of European troops appearing in Ukraine. “We agreed to work closely with key allies in achieving peace and developing effective security guarantees. As one of such guarantees, we discussed France's initiative to deploy military contingents in Ukraine. We discussed practical steps for its implementation, potential expansion, and involvement of other countries in these efforts,” wrote Zelensky on the social network X.
On January 16, Keir Starmer arrived in Ukraine and met with Zelensky for the first time since taking office as Prime Minister in July. The leaders of the countries will sign an agreement on a “century-long partnership” aimed at strengthening ties not only in defense but also in science, energy, and trade. The British Prime Minister also announced the provision of £40 million to Kyiv for the recovery of the Ukrainian economy. Starmer called Putin's attempt to sever Ukraine from its partners a “monumental strategic failure.” “Instead, we have become closer than ever, and this partnership will take the friendship to a new level,” he said.
Photo: AFP