UK ready to send troops to Ukraine: Prime minister

ISTANBUL

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Sunday that he is "ready and willing" to deploy British troops to Ukraine to enforce a peace deal.

"I do not say that lightly. I feel very deeply the responsibility that comes with potentially putting British servicemen and women in harm’s way," he wrote in an article for The Telegraph.

"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," he added.

The end of the Ukraine war, "when it comes, cannot merely become a temporary pause before (Russian President Vladimir) Putin attacks again," Starmer said.

"But second, while European nations must step up in this moment – and we will – US support will remain critical and a US security guarantee is essential for a lasting peace, because only the US can deter Putin from attacking again," he added.

Starmer said he will be meeting with US President Donald Trump in the coming days and collaborating with him, along with all G7 countries, to secure the "strong deal" they need.

"We must be clear that peace cannot come at any cost. Ukraine must be at the table in these negotiations, because anything less would accept Putin’s position that Ukraine is not a real nation," he said.

Starmer added that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people have demonstrated remarkable "resilience" and made immense "sacrifices" in defense of their nation.

"We cannot have another situation like Afghanistan, where the US negotiated directly with the Taliban and cut out the Afghan government. I feel sure that President Trump will want to avoid this too."

Starmer said that Ukraine's path to NATO membership is "irreversible," also emphasizing that European countries must increase defense spending and take on a "greater role" within the alliance.