In a dramatic escalation of rhetoric ahead of an urgent meeting of European leaders in Paris on Monday, the prime minister confirmed he is prepared to put a peacekeeping force into Ukraine if there is a deal to end the war with Russia. Keir Starmer has announced he is willing to put British troops “in harm’s way” on the ground in Ukraine to face down Vladimir Putin’s forces. In a dramatic escalation of rhetoric ahead of an urgent meeting of European leaders in Paris on Monday, the prime minister confirmed he is prepared to put a peacekeeping force into Ukraine if there is a deal to end the war with Russia.
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Sir Keir said the UK was “ready to play a leading role” in Ukraine’s defence and security, including the commitment of £3 billion a year until 2030. But he said that along with military aid to Ukraine “it also means being ready and willing to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by putting our own troops on the ground if necessary”. “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,” Sir Keir said.
