Keir Starmer has confirmed for the first time that he is ready and willing to deploy peacekeeping British troops in Ukraine if a deal to end Russia’s war is reached.
Writing for The Telegraph, he said: “The UK is ready to play a leading role in accelerating work on security guarantees for Ukraine. This includes further support for Ukraine’s military – where the UK has already committed £3 billion a year until at least 2030.
“But 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.”
Days after US vice-president JD Vance attacked Europe for withdrawing from its core values, Starmer added: “This is the moment for us all to step up and the UK will do so because it is the right thing to do for the values and freedoms we hold dear, and because it is fundamental to our own national security.”
The prime minister also said securing any role in helping to guarantee Ukraine’s security will help the security of both Europe and the UK.
“The end of this war, when it comes, cannot merely become a temporary pause before Putin attacks again,” Starmer said.
He is the first UK prime minister to publicly confirm he would deploy troops to Ukraine, although it is not yet clear how British soldiers would help protect the 1,000 mile border with Russia.
It comes after widespread concerns that the UK’s defence sector is already underfunded following years of underfunding.
The prime minister is facing calls for him to hike funding from 2.3% of GDP to 2.5%, despite chancellor Rachel Reeves’ ongoing squeezes on the budget.
Starmer is set to meet his European counterparts today in Paris in an emergency summit on Ukraine.
The continent is currently scrambling to respond after Donald Trump’s team suggested he would not include Europe in any peace talks with Russia.
Top officials working for the president also seemed to hint that US security support for Europe would be watered down.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously said he does not think his country could be secured without American support.
But, Starmer’s words will still pressure European allies to create a united peacekeeping force in Ukraine against any potential future Russian aggression.
The PM has also claimed the UK could play a “unique role” as a bridge between Europe and the US in the peace process. He is expected to meet with Trump in a visit to Washington by the end of this month.
Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of both Russia and US will meet in Saudi Arabia for peace talks this week – a discussion Ukraine says it has not been invited to join.
As Starmer wrote: “We must be clear that peace cannot come at any cost. Ukraine must be at the table in these negotiations, because anything less would accept Putin’s position that Ukraine is not a real nation.
“President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people have shown the most extraordinary resilience and made such great sacrifices in the defence of their nation. We cannot have another situation like Afghanistan, where the US negotiated directly with the Taliban and cut out the Afghan government. I feel sure that president Trump will want to avoid this too.”