Britain and France are said to be drafting plans for a “reassurance force” of fewer than 30,000 troops to help protect Ukraine, amid heightened tensions between Kyiv and Washington.
The plan is expected to be presented by Sir Keir Starmer to Donald Trump when the two meet in Washington next week, the Telegraph reported.
The strategy, which was drafted amid fears the US President would abandon Ukraine, was shown to European leaders at an emergency meeting in Paris this week.
The proposals also include using spy planes, satellites and drones to monitor the border and provide a “complete picture of what’s going on,” according to the article, quoting a Western source.
Thousands of troops would be deployed away from the current front lines to Ukrainian cities, ports and other critical infrastructure sites, such as nuclear power stations.
Under the plans soldiers would not be operating as “peacekeepers” but as “reassurance” force for the public and returning Ukrainians, Sky News reported.
Russia’s ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin told the BBC he rejected the idea of foreign peacekeeping troops being allowed in Ukraine in the event of any peace deal.
It comes as a rift between Europe and the US deepened further after Trump called Ukraine’s president a “dictator” and warned he was “not going to have a country left” without a peace deal with Russia.
Trump described Volodymyr Zelensky as a “modestly successful comedian” who had persuaded the US to fund “a war that couldn’t be won”.
In a post on social media he wrote: “A Dictator without Elections, Zelensky better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left.”
Sir Keir called Zelensky on Wednesday to express support for him “as Ukraine’s democratically elected leader”, adding that it is “perfectly reasonable to suspend elections during war time as the UK did during the Second World War”, a Downing Street spokesperson said.
The UK Government is looking to enforce message discipline ahead of Starmer’s trip to Washington DC – with Labour MPs seemingly reluctant to pick a fight publicly with the President.
Meanwhile, two of Sir Keir’s top ministers are expected to hold in talks with other allies for all of Thursday.
The Defence Secretary John Healey will continue his visit to Norway, where he has already met troops near the Russian border alongside his Norwegian counterpart Tore Sandvik.
In South Africa, the Foreign Secretary David Lammy is attending a two-day meeting of G20 foreign ministers and is expected to directly criticise the Kremlin and emphasise the UK’s unwavering support for Ukraine, as well as addressing other areas.
Comments
Leave a Comment