Sir Keir Starmer has renewed his call for the US to provide a “backstop” security guarantee in Ukraine to deter Russia from invading again in the event of a peace deal between the two nations.
If the US were to provide a backstop to European troops on the ground in Ukraine, it’s unlikely it would be in the form of troops on the ground.
Only a few days later, Sir Keir said he was ready to put British troops on the ground in Ukraine “if necessary” to guarantee the country’s security.
Speaking to reporters over the Atlantic ahead of a meeting with Mr Trump on Thursday, Sir Keir clarified: “The reason I say the backstop is so important is that the security guarantee has to be sufficient to deter Putin from coming again.
Speaking earlier in February, new US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said the country would not longer "tolerate an imbalanced relationship" with its European allies in Nato.
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