British officials announced that twenty countries could join Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to deploy peacekeeping troops to Ukraine as part of a post-war settlement. The coalition, comprising largely European and Commonwealth partners, held a fresh round of talks on the strategy.
Britain and France are leading efforts to form the group, aiming to put boots on the ground to uphold any agreement to end the three-year war between Russia and Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, met with Emmanuel Macron and discussed the need for new, substantial steps towards peace.
Several governments have expressed interest in joining the coalition, including Australia, Ireland, Luxembourg, Belgium, and Turkey. Canada, Denmark, and Sweden are also considering participation. Defence chiefs from the countries will meet in Paris next week to continue their discussions.
While some governments are fully committed to supplying manpower, others want to play a role in promoting peace in Ukraine. Ukrainian officials are set to discuss European strategy with US counterparts in Saudi Arabia next week.
European Union leaders pledged support for Mr Zelensky, after the US president cut the supply of weapons and intelligence sharing with Ukraine. The EU has agreed to boost its defence spending by up to €800 billion and proposed a €150 billion loan to buy new military equipment for European armies.
The efforts come amid concerns about Russia’s growing arms race in Eastern Europe. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he is confident that Russia will lose this arms race, just as the Soviet Union did 40 years ago.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/twenty-countries-could-join-starmer-214456384.html