Britain strengthens its army and prepares to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine
Prime Minister of the UK, Keir Starmer (photo: Getty Images)
The UK government will accelerate the pace and scale of military planning to be ready to support Ukraine. This includes all possible forms of support, including the deployment of ground troops, according to the Guardian and the UK government website.
The press secretary of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that in the event of a ceasefire and an agreement to end the war with Russia, thousands of military personnel will be needed to support Ukraine.
According to the spokesperson, the government will continue to accelerate the pace and scale of operational planning, with further meetings at the headquarters in Northwood, where the details and structure of any future forces are being considered.
"As we look at force structures, we need to consider the best capabilities to meet the specific threats that Ukraine faces. Not all the countries in the coalition will have capabilities for Ukraine but might have the capability for other deployments which would free up other nations to deploy to Ukraine," the press secretary stated.
In response to a question about whether the focus of the discussion has shifted from the prospect of deploying ground troops to Ukraine, the Downing Street spokesperson said: "No, nothing is off the table on any of these fronts, so I wouldn’t start ruling anything out. Clearly, thousands of troops will be required to support any deployment, whether that is at sea, on land or in the air."
Starmer's efforts and the plans of the Coalition of the Willing
On Friday, March 21, Keir Starmer held a meeting with the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission, as well as the leaders of Turkey, Norway, and Iceland.
During the dialogue, the British government leader stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to stall and impose additional conditions for any meaningful ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
Starmer spoke about the military meeting that took place on March 20 at the Permanent Joint Headquarters. He added that his visit to the representatives of 31 countries and organizations present at the meeting further emphasized to him the importance of the Coalition of the Willing having necessary plans in place for any eventuality.
The head of government also introduced new military subgroups for land, sea, air, recovery, and reconstruction planning, which will continue discussions over three intensive days of planning next week.
The leaders then discussed the importance of ensuring that military equipment stays ahead of the threats facing Europe.
During the UK's intensive planning over three days next week, the possibility of redeploying British troops from their current locations to support Ukraine is likely to be considered. These troops will be replaced by forces from other countries.
Collective aid to Ukraine
In early March, Keir Starmer announced the creation of the Coalition of the Willing, aimed at ensuring the practical implementation of a peace agreement in Ukraine.
London is willing to send a peacekeeping contingent to Ukraine with air support. The government is preparing a plan of action to guarantee the country's security as part of a peace agreement with Russia.
On Thursday, March 27, a summit of the Coalition of the Willing will take place in Paris, with the participation of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The participants will discuss more specific steps to support Ukraine.
