British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is ready to station thousands of British soldiers in Ukraine for an indefinite period to maintain a ceasefire and prevent another Russian invasion, The Times reported on 17 March.
According to a senior government source, the British deployment would be “a long-term commitment” spanning years. “As long as it takes to preserve a peace deal and deter Russia,” the source told The Times.
The statement comes after an international online summit of Ukraine’s allies known as the “coalition of the willing” on 15 March. The nations who could form a post-war peacekeeping force in Ukraine includes 37 countries, with 25 attending the summit.
Defence chiefs from several countries will meet in London on 20 March to discuss specific deployment locations for the peacekeeping force. The coalition includes the UK, France, Türkiye, Canada, and Australia, with plans to send up to 30,000 troops to Ukraine.
The UK prime minister has not confirmed whether the peacekeeping force would be authorized to fire on Russian soldiers if attacked. These “rules of engagement” will likely be discussed in coming days.
The military deployment would follow a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. President Trump is expected to hold talks with President Putin this week regarding a proposed 30-day ceasefire.
On 11 March, Ukrainian and US delegations met in Saudi Arabia, where they accepted the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire. The initial ceasefire would be “in the air and at sea” to easily monitor potential breaches by Russia. A full ceasefire including ground forces would follow.
Starmer has emphasized that UK troops will not be sent without a security guarantee from the United States. Trump has repeatedly declined to provide such a guarantee.
The prime minister accused Putin of “playing games” after delaying commitment to the 30-day ceasefire. Russia has stated it would not accept foreign peacekeepers in Ukraine.
During a press conference, Starmer said the “world needs action now” and noted that “new commitments” on peacekeeping and tightening sanctions against Russia were made during a recent call with world leaders.
The prime minister rejected Putin’s “yes, but” approach to the proposed ceasefire, saying that the Russian president would have to negotiate “sooner or later.”
Read also:
- Starmer: Military officials to develop plan for Ukraine peace agreement
- Starmer tells Putin “the world is watching” during international summit
- Starmer: Putin should not be allowed to play with ceasefire in Ukraine
