Britain Offers Peacekeeping Forces To Ukraine Ahead Of Paris' Accompaniment

British Army/PHOTO ILLUSTRATION via Instagram @royalnavy

JAKARTA - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer became the first European leader to say he was ready to deploy peacekeepers in Ukraine.

This was offered by the UK ahead of an emergency meeting of leaders in Paris to discuss Europe's role in the ceasefire.

As reported by Reuters, Starmer's statement stressed the increasing awareness among European countries that it most likely should play a greater role in ensuring Ukraine's security as Washington cooperates with Russia in its efforts to end the three-year conflict.

Sweden will consider contributing to postwar peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Monday, February 17.

US President Donald Trump previously surprised Ukraine and its European allies last week when he said he had made phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin, without consulting with them, to discuss how to end the war.

The effort will be launched with talks this week in Saudi Arabia between US and Russian officials.

Trump's envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said Europe would not get a seat on the peace negotiating table. Washington sent questionnaires to European countries to ask for their contribution to Kyiv's security guarantees.

At a summit on Monday in Paris, President Emmanuel Macron will host leaders from Germany, Italy, England, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark, who will represent Baltic and Scandinavian countries, along with EU leaders and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

A French presidential official said the discussions would discuss "security guarantees that Europe and America can provide, together or individually," and peacekeeping forces are just one of the elements of the security guarantee.

Starmer, which is expected to travel to Washington to meet Trump next week, said on Sunday Europe was facing a " once-in-a-generation" moment for the collective security of the continent, and Europe must work closely with the United States.

PM Starmer said Britain is ready to play a major role in providing security guarantees for Ukraine, including being ready to put our own forces on the pitch if needed.

"Finally this war, when it arrives, can't just be a temporary pause before Putin attacks again," he said in the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

The European meeting in Paris took place after dozens of similar summits showed 27 EU countries were unable to produce cohesive plans to end the war in Ukraine. Britain is not a member of the EU but a major supporter of Ukraine.