issued a breaking news update as the Prime Minister’s announcement yesterday received a big blow.
Labour leader has faced a setback in his push for discussing military engagement to facilitate peace between and , as a leading security expert has warned against UK involvement without backing from the United States. Speaking on Sky News this morning, former national security advisor Lord Ricketts cast doubt on Starmer’s strategy to pressure Russian President into agreeing to a ceasefire.
Starmer has been exploring diplomatic and military options to facilitate peace talks between and . However, Lord Ricketts warned that without US support, any UK-led military engagement could be ineffective. “I have to say, there’s quite a high likelihood that a ceasefire, even if it is achievable, won’t last,” Lord Ricketts stated. “For the next year or so, we may well see the fighting continuing.”
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Lord Ricketts has voiced his opinion on Keir Starmer backing Ukraine (Image: Sky News)
The security expert emphasized that US President stance on the conflict could be crucial in determining its trajectory.
He added: “Unless Trump is really prepared to double down on Putin and show him that there’s no way he can continue this grinding war, and that he’s prepared to arm and support in the end, then the factors we were talking about, the weakness of the Russian economy, will come into play. But I don’t see them pressuring Putin into a settlement soon. Unless Trump is prepared to do it, I fear this is going to drag on for some time yet.”
Lord Ricketts’ remarks come at a critical moment for Starmer, who has been attempting to position himself as a strong international leader ahead of the next general election.
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Lord Ricketts believes Starmer needs the support of the US military (Image: Getty)
Starmer has been vocal in his criticism of Putin, accusing the Russian president of stalling on peace negotiations. Over the weekend, he stated that Putin was “dragging his feet” on agreeing to a ceasefire, making it clear that he believes there is a limit on how long the Russian leader can delay the process.
After hosting a virtual summit with 29 international leaders on Saturday, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Starmer announced new commitments on both peacekeeping efforts and tougher sanctions on .
He declared that military leaders would meet in London to “put strong and robust plans in place to swing in behind a peace deal and guarantee ’s future security”.
Despite international pressure, the Kremlin has so far refused to agree to a ceasefire unless surrenders its ambition to join NATO and concedes territory to .
However, Zelenskyy has rejected these demands, warning that is merely playing for time to strengthen its military position before any potential ceasefire takes place.
Starmer has continued to urge Putin to stop “playing games” or face harsher economic consequences. He has also been instrumental in forming what he calls a “coalition of the willing”, which includes European nations, NATO, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, all aiming to ensure that any peace deal includes meaningful security guarantees for .
The British prime minister has pledged that the UK is prepared to put “boots on the ground” and provide air cover in if necessary to deter further Russian aggression. Alongside Macron, he has been lobbying Trump to reinforce any peace deal with US military guarantees.