European troops ready to deploy to Ukraine if Trump and Putin agree on ceasefire, UK says
European troops are prepared to deploy to Ukraine within weeks if a ceasefire is agreed between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, UK Defense Secretary John Healey said, according to reporting by the BBC.
The deployment planning reflects Europe's efforts to provide credible security guarantees for Ukraine and prepare for potential post-ceasefire stabilization efforts.
Speaking at the Lord Mayor’s Annual Defense Lecture in London, Healey said members of the “Coalition of the Willing” have been developing detailed plans to secure Ukraine’s borders in the event of a ceasefire.
Trump and Putin are planning to meet in Budapest in the near future to discuss a potential ceasefire in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not been invited, but said he is ready to join.
“If President Trump can broker a peace, then we will be ready to help secure that peace,” Healey said, adding that Ukrainians must remain “the people who will decide how and what is negotiated.”
Six months of planning, 200 military planners: Inside Europe's £100 million operation
According to the BBC, Healy said more than 200 military planners from nearly 40 countries have been working for six months to prepare for a potential deployment, with Britain expecting to spend “well over £100 million” on the operation.
The proposal would see UK forces join a multinational contingent to help maintain stability and enforce the terms of any peace agreement.
The Coalition of the Willing is an alliance of 26 European nations established in March by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. It was formed to coordinate long-term European security assistance to Ukraine, independent of NATO structures.
Led by the United Kingdom, it includes EU and non-EU countries that have committed to training, equipping, and potentially deploying forces to help secure Ukraine’s sovereignty in the aftermath of the Russian invasion.
Europe's dilemma: Deploy troops without US backing or fund a powerful Ukrainian army?
European nations have been developing security guarantee frameworks for Ukraine since early 2025, when military chiefs from 30 European and NATO countries met in Paris to discuss post-ceasefire arrangements.
However, European officials expressed reluctance to deploy troops without US security backing, while Zelenskyy has suggested a well-funded Ukrainian army could eliminate the need for foreign peacekeepers entirely.
