UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has cautioned that Russian President Vladimir Putin would violate any peace agreement with Ukraine if it lacks strong security measures to enforce it.
Speaking at a high-level military meeting in London, Starmer emphasized that a ceasefire would only hold if backed by a solid security framework.
The gathering, which included representatives from over 20 nations, focused on potential troop deployments to safeguard Ukraine as part of a peace deal.
Starmer stressed that the UK and its allies were shifting from diplomatic negotiations to military planning, which he said was crucial ahead of any agreement.
He argued that history had already shown Putin’s willingness to breach deals and that this would likely happen again without concrete deterrents.
While ruling out withdrawing UK forces from other commitments such as Estonia, Starmer affirmed that any security plan for Ukraine would ensure “severe consequences” for Russia if it violated the terms.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey was also present at the confidential discussions, which involved military leaders from what Starmer calls the “coalition of the willing.” The UK spearheaded the meeting following an earlier summit involving 26 countries.
Officials suggested that any military deployment should be framed as a “reassurance force” rather than a “peacekeeping force.” The discussions reportedly included proposals such as deploying British Typhoon jets to provide air cover for Ukrainian troops.
Meanwhile, Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard indicated that while no specific troop numbers had been determined, planning was underway to ensure that any multinational force would be both effective and well-coordinated.
In a parallel development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during a visit to Norway, criticized Russia for making demands that prolong the war. The US has been actively working to broker a ceasefire, with upcoming negotiations set to take place in Saudi Arabia.
Although both Zelensky and Putin have verbally agreed to a ceasefire in principle, major differences in conditions have stalled any formal agreement.
Source: NewsandVibes.com
