The UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said he is “ready and willing” to put UK troops on the ground in Ukraine to help guarantee its security as part of a peace deal.
The UK prime minister said securing a lasting peace in Ukraine was “essential if we are to deter Putin from further aggression in the future”.
Before attending an emergency summit with European leaders in Paris on Monday, Keir said the UK was prepared to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by “putting our troops on the ground if necessary”.
The prime minister added: “But any role in helping to guarantee Ukraine’s security is helping to guarantee the security of our continent and the security of this country.”
The end of Russia’s war with Ukraine “when it comes, cannot merely become a temporary pause before Putin attacks again”, Sir Keir said.
UK troops could be deployed alongside soldiers from other European nations alongside the border between Ukrainian-held and Russian-held territory.
The PM has previously only hinted that British troops could be involved in safeguarding Ukraine after a ceasefire.
He is due to visit President Donald Trump in Washington later this month and said a “US security guarantee is essential for a lasting peace because only the US can deter Putin from attacking again”.
