UK Willing to Send Peacekeeping Troops to Ukraine, Says Prime Minister

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits the community kitchen at the Newquay Orchard in Newquay, England, on Feb. 10, 2025. Leon Neal/Pool via REUTERS

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Feb. 16 that he is prepared to send troops to Ukraine if needed to enforce a potential peace deal that will end Russian aggression against Ukraine.

Starmer wrote in the Daily Telegraph that the UK is “ready to play a leading role” in securing a lasting peace in Ukraine, even if it means putting British servicemen and women “in harm’s way.”

“I do not say that lightly,” he stated. “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.”

Starmer said that any end to Russia’s war in Ukraine “cannot merely become a temporary pause before Putin attacks again.” To support Ukraine, the UK has committed 3 billion pounds (about $3.79 billion) per year for the Ukrainian military until at least 2030, he wrote.

Starmer said he would be meeting President Donald Trump in the coming days, noting that the United States holds a critical role in securing a lasting peace in Ukraine. The British leader also stated that he believes that the UK could play “a unique role” in helping the United States and Europe work together.

“We are facing a once-in-a-generation moment for the collective security of our continent,” he stated. “This is not only a question about the future of Ukraine—it is existential for Europe as a whole.”

He made the remarks ahead of an emergency summit with European leaders on Feb. 17 to discuss the Russia–Ukraine war. The meeting will be hosted by France, involving Starmer and the leaders of Germany, Poland, Italy, and Denmark, as well as the European Union leadership, and the NATO secretary-general.

Starmer also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Feb. 14, pledging that the UK would continue to support Ukraine “for as long as it is needed,” and he emphasized the need for Ukraine’s involvement in talks about the war.

This came amid concerns that European nations might be excluded from negotiations with Russia to end the war. Trump’s Ukraine envoy, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, said on Feb. 15 that Europe would not be included in peace talks for Ukraine and that the United States will act as an intermediary between the two sides.

In a Feb. 16 interview with CBS, U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio said the negotiation process had not yet begun but emphasized that if it progressed, Ukraine and Europe would be included in “real negotiations.”

“Ultimately, it will reach a point when ... if it’s real negotiations, and we’re not there yet, but if that were to happen, Ukraine will have to be involved, because they’re the one that were invaded, and the Europeans will have to be involved because they have sanctions on Putin and Russia,” he stated. “We’re just not there yet.”

Rubio stated that Putin had “expressed his interest in peace” during a phone call with Trump last week, and Trump told him that he wanted the war to end “in a way that was enduring and that protected Ukrainian sovereignty.” Rubio said that Russia’s next actions would determine whether it was serious about pursuing peace.

U.S. and Russian officials are expected to meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days for continued peace talks, according to Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas). McCaul said on Feb. 15 that the talks are meant to arrange a meeting with Trump, Putin, and Zelenskyy to “finally bring peace and end this conflict.”

Jacob Burg and Reuters contributed to this report.