Keir Starmer ‘ready to deploy British troops in Ukraine’ ahead of meeting with EU leaders over Russia peace talks
SIR Keir Starmer has said he is willing to deploy British troops on the ground in Ukraine to enforce a peace deal.
The PM has vowed the UK will "do our bit" as he prepares to meet EU leaders in Paris to discuss peace talks over the war in Ukraine.
Writing in , he said he had not taken the decision to consider putting British servicemen and women "in harm's way" lightly.
European leaders will gather on Monday after French President Emmanuel Macron called an emergency meeting.
It comes after it emerged they had not been invited to early Ukraine peace talks between the US and Russia.
Senior members of Donald Trump's administration have also signalled that US security support for Europe will be scaled back.
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The PM's move is likely to put pressure on allies to also publicly back the idea of a European peacekeeping force in war-torn Ukraine.
Starmer has also suggested that Britain could play a "unique role", acting as a bridge between Europe and the US during the peace process in Ukraine.
He called the crisis a "once in a generation moment" and an "existential" question for Europe as he committed to £3 billion a year of funding to Ukraine until 2030.
Alongside the military aid, he said “it also means being ready and willing to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by putting our own troops on the ground if necessary”.
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The PM added: “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.
“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.
“The end of this war, when it comes, cannot merely become a temporary pause before Putin attacks again.”
Starmer previously only hinted at the use of British troops for safeguarding in Ukraine after a ceasefire, but has now made this explicit message.
The move was likely made to try and encourage both European allies and US President Trump to commit to deterring a future attack by Russia once peace has been negotiated.
US SUPPORT 'CRITICAL' TO ENSURING PEACE
The Prime Minister, who is due to visit Trump in Washington later this month, called US support "critical" to ensuring peace and security is long lasting in the region.
US administration representatives and their Russian counterparts are expected to meet on Monday in Saudi Arabia for talks, following Wednesday's call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
But Ukrainian officials are not expected to be at the table at this stage, while other European leaders may not be involved in the peace negotiations at all.
Prime Minister Starmer has emphasised that Ukraine must be included at peace negotiations, warning that other nations risk validating Putin's position that Ukraine is "not a real nation".
President Zelensky has also issued a red line on the peace deal, saying Ukraine must be involved in any negotiations or he would not accept any deal they strike.
Speaking on Sunday, President Trump said “we’re moving along, we’re trying to get a peace with Russia and Ukraine and we’re working very hard on it” and he promised that Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky “will be involved”.
US President Donald Trump and his allies have suggested that Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky will have to concede some of his lost territory to Russia.
But Zelensky said: “I will never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia about Ukraine, never.”
He added: “This is the war in Ukraine, against us, and it’s our human losses.”
Ukrainian officials and other European leaders have claimed they were not informed bilateral meetings were taking place between the US and Russia.
Prime Minister Starmer also harked back to the chaotic situation that unfolded when US troops left Afghanistan under former president Joe Biden, following a deal that Trump had struck with the Taliban.
He added he believes Trump will also want to avoid a similarly catastrophic situation in Ukraine.
Tensions have already flared with the US administration over whether or not Ukraine should be allowed to join Nato, after Trump’s defence secretary said it was unrealistic.
The PM however restated his belief that Ukraine's path to Nato membership is "irreversible" and also suggested squeezing Russia's economy by going further on the cap on oil prices.
He also recommended the targeting the shadow fleet used to transport exports, sanctioning of oil giants, and taking of action against banks that enable the evasion of sanctions.
Vlad 'has to give up land'
By Thomas Godfrey
RUSSIA’S Vladimir Putin may have to hand over territory and his oil wealth as the price of a peace deal in Ukraine, the US said last week.
Keith Kellogg, the US Special Envoy to Ukraine, was quizzed in Munich on what Russia may have to give up to stop the fighting.
The ex-Army general said: “To me, there are going to have to be things like territorial concessions as well.”
He also suggested Putin will have to hand over his vast oil wealth — which is meant to be seized in sanctions which have gone mostly unenforced.
He said: “On a scale of one to ten, those sanctions are a six, but enforcement is a three. Maybe (Putin) has to give up his oil revenue, and we’ll force him to do it.”
The Trump administration has demanded Europe to do more to pay for and provide its own security.
This has led to an increased pressure for greater defence spending across the continent.
On Monday, Keir Starmer will be joined by leaders from Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Denmark, alongside the presidents of the European Council and European Commission and the secretary general of Nato.
The Paris meeting, called by Emmanuel Macron, comes as President Trump called for defence spending to rise to 5 per cent of GDP.
However, Starmer is unlikely to go beyond his commitment to increase spending to just 2.5 per cent, up from around 2.3 per cent now, amid calls from Nato chief Mark Rutte that allies should spend more than 3 per cent.
It comes as Foreign Secretary David Lammy addressed the recent Munich Security Conference over defence spending fears.
He said: "All of us as foreign ministers have had detailed conversations with our Treasury departments.
"One of the messages we are deadly serious about is if Ukraine were to fail the costs would be considerably more.”
He pointed out countries were spending around seven per cent of GDP on defence in the Cold War.
Former head of the British Army Gen Lord Richard Dannatt said defence spending should be ramped up to three per cent or higher.
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He warned that PM Sir Keir will be consigned to the “bin of history” unless he finds more money for our military.
He added: “We need to deter Putin in a way we failed to deter Hitler.”
