U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has presented plans to send a 10,000-strong peacekeeping contingent to Ukraine, as part of an international coalition aimed at securing the country in case of a peace deal with Russia.
The proposal, agreed upon by 29 international leaders at a virtual summit in London on March 15, includes troops from the U.K. and France, along with logistics and intelligence support from 35 countries. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also joined the call.
While the proposed force is smaller than previously reported, it remains significant, with many countries contributing troops or providing other forms of support. Starmer announced that “troops on the ground and planes in the sky” would provide security guarantees for Ukraine following a future peace deal.
The U.K.’s proposal follows a 30-day ceasefire agreed upon by Kyiv and the U.S., which the Kremlin has accepted but also demanded limits on military mobilization and training. The two countries are set to discuss the terms of the ceasefire in a call this week, with U.S. President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff expected to play a key role.
In contrast to some other European nations, Italy and Finland have expressed reservations about participating in the proposed peacekeeping force. However, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni did attend the summit and voiced support for Ukraine, though stated that her country would not join the mission.
Source: https://kyivindependent.com/uk-proposes-10-000-peacekeeping-troops-for-ukraine