Kremlin Rejects UK PM's Proposal To Send 30 Thousand Peacekeeping Forces To Ukraine

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov/Basy Sergey Karpukhin/TASS

JAKARTA - The Kremlin said Britain's plan to send peacekeepers to Ukraine was unacceptable to Russia. Russia monitors British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's statement closely.

Starmer previously said its country was "ready and willing" to place British troops in Ukraine as security guarantees in the event of a "resolution" agreement between Moscow and Kyiv.

Starmer plans to submit a plan to US President Donald Trump to send less than 30,000 European soldiers to Ukraine in exchange for the protection of American troops, the Telegraph newspaper reported.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the proposal was unacceptable because it would involve troops from NATO member countries. This is said to have consequences for Russia's own security.

"This is of concern to us, as we talk about sending military contingents about the possible delivery of military contingents from NATO countries to Ukraine," Peskov said.

"This has a very different meaning from our security point of view," he said.

"We are monitoring this very closely," he continued.

Russia has repeatedly said it opposes the deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said this week Moscow would view troop deployments as a "direct threat" to Russia's sovereignty, even if the troops were operating there under different flags.

Amid negotiations with the United States in Riyadh on Tuesday, Russia asked NATO to cancel its promise in 2008 to grant Ukraine membership in the American-led alliance.

Russia rejects the idea that NATO member forces could become peacekeepers under a ceasefire agreement.