British Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer has said he is “ready and willing” to put UK troops on the ground in Ukraine to help guarantee its security as part of a peace deal.
The UK prime minister said securing a lasting peace in Ukraine was “essential if we are to deter Putin from further aggression in the future”.
Before attending an emergency summit with European leaders in Paris on Monday, Sir Keir said the UK was prepared to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by “putting our own troops on the ground if necessary”.
“I do not say that lightly,” he wrote in the Daily Telegraph. “I feel very deeply the responsibility that comes with potentially putting British servicemen and women in harm’s way.”
The prime minister added: “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 Russia’s war with Ukraine “when it comes, cannot merely become a temporary pause before Putin attacks again”, Sir Keir said.
UK troops could be deployed alongside soldiers from other European nations alongside the border between Ukrainian-held and Russian-held territory.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting told the BBC the government sees the war in Ukraine as “the frontline for Europe and the frontline for Britain”.
He said the UK is “prepared to play its part in securing the long-term future for Ukraine, for Europe and for Britain’s national security”.
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Sir Keir’s announcement comes after the former Head of the Army, Lord Dannatt, told the BBC the UK military was “so run down” it could not lead any future peacekeeping mission in Ukraine.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said sending troops to Ukraine would come at a “considerable cost” and require an increase in funding for the military.
“Frankly, we haven’t got the numbers and we haven’t got the equipment to put a large force onto the ground for an extended period of time at the present moment,” he said.
The PM has previously only hinted that British troops could be involved in safeguarding Ukraine after a ceasefire.
He is due to visit President Donald Trump in Washington later this month and said a “US security guarantee is essential for a lasting peace, because only the US can deter Putin from attacking again”.
Sir Keir is meeting with other European leaders in response to concerns the US is moving forward with Russia on peace talks that will lock out the continent.
