Keir Starmer and Donald Trump (Image: DX)
Twenty countries could join Keir Starmer’s plan for peacekeeping troops in as efforts to create a “coalition of the willing” were ramped up. Britain and France are leading proposals for a postwar settlement in the hope of ending the three-year war between and .
Australia, Ireland, Luxembourg and Turkey have already publicly indicated they will consider sending peacekeeping troops to enforce a deal. A number of other countries have not ruled out sending troops, including Canada, Denmark, and Sweden. It is understood that nations involved in a meeting on Wednesday were largely European and Commonwealth countries.
European Council President Antonio Costa (l) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
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The plans will eventually be presented to as part of the efforts to win back his support and ensure US involvement in any peace agreement.
has said it would not accept any European peacekeepers in , claiming it would mean direct Nato involvement in the war.
It came as European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and , met in Brussels on Thursday to discuss defence spending and the path to a peace plan in .
Speaking at the gathering Mr Zelensky said: “We are very thankful that we are not alone.”
Sir Keir, who was not at the meeting because Britain has left the EU, insisted intensive work is continuing on ways to enforce any peace deal struck with .
But he stressed there was no certainty that an agreement would be reached, despite Mr Trump’s all-out push for a settlement.
Speaking after a UK-Ireland summit, the Prime Minister said he would not make a “choice between the US and Europe” amid mounting fears that Mr Trump is washing his hands of the continent’s security.
Sir Keir, who is due to speak with European leaders in a video call on Friday, insisted it was essential to put America and Kyiv on the “same page” after the extraordinary Oval Office bust up last week.
Pressed on Mr Trump suspending military aid and intelligence cooperation, Sir Keir said: “We need to put in the strongest possible position, that’s my strong view.”
It comes as military experts floated the idea of a European air force of 120 fighter jets to secure ‘s skies from Russian attacks.
No10 did not dismiss the idea, which emerged after proposed a “truce in the air”, but said nothing had been finalised.
No further plans have been made for Sir Keir to head for Washington with Mr Zelensky and French president Emmanuel Macron next week.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 2: (L-R) Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, Britain’s Prime Minister Ke (Image: Getty Images)
Speaking with employees working in the defence industry in the North West, the Prime Minister said Europe must step up in terms of its own defence and security.
“The United Kingdom will play a leading part because we’ve always stepped up when it is required,” he said.
“So that’s why I’ve made that commitment on behalf of our country. It has to be done in conjunction with the United States”.
He added: “It’s that ability to work with the United States and our European partners that has kept the peace for 80 years now.”
Defence Secretary John Healey held talks with his US counterpart Pete Hegseth on Thursday as part of a trans-atlantic diplomacy push.
But ’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the Kremlin “categorically” opposes any deal that allows European troops to act as peacekeepers in .
“We see no room for compromise,” he said, adding that the presence of European forces in would mean the “undisguised involvement of NATO countries in a war against the Russian Federation. It’s impossible to allow this.”
Peace efforts continue after it emerged Mr Trump could kick out 240,000 Ukrainian refugees from the US as he is reportedly planning to revoke their legal status.
The move, expected as soon as April, would be a stunning reversal of the welcome Ukrainians received under President ‘s administration.
Meanwhile, ‘s ambassador to the UK and former military chief has said the US is “destroying” the established world order.
Criticising the new Trump administration’s way of handling foreign policy, Valerii Zaluzhnyi said the White House had “questioned the unity of the whole Western world”.
Speaking at a conference at Chatham House in London he said: “We see that it is not just the axis of evil and trying to revise the world order, but the US is finally destroying this order.”
His remarks come after the US banned Britain from sharing intelligence from Washington with as part of its withdrawal of support for President Zelensky.
Mr Trump’s decision to freeze American military aid to Kyiv brought warnings that could run out of weapons in as little as two to three months’ time.
But on top of missiles and ammunition, all UK intelligence agencies and military outlets also received an order expressly forbidding the sharing of US-generated intelligence to .