Reuters reported that on February 16, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the British army was ready to be deployed in Ukraine as part of the post-war peacekeeping force.
Sharing with the Daily Telegram, Mr. Starmer said that the end of the conflict in Ukraine cannot be considered a "temporary silence" for Russia to prepare and conduct a military campaign once again.
According to Mr. Starmer, ensuring long-term peace for Kiev is necessary to avoid a recurrence of the conflict, while emphasizing that the decision on the possibility of sending the British army to Ukraine has been carefully considered. I am very aware of my responsibility when I could put British soldiers in danger, Starmer said.
Reuters said that this was the first time Mr. Starmer publicly stated the deployment of British peacekeeping forces in Ukraine. Previously, Mr. Starmer only affirmed that the UK was ready to contribute to peace negotiations.
The UK Prime Minister is expected to attend a meeting in Paris on February 17 after French President Emanuel Macron called on the West to discuss the situation in Ukraine. The meeting will be attended by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Polish Chancellor Donald Tusk, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and other European leaders.
Also on February 16, Mr. Starmer emphasized the importance of Europe in peace negotiations in the context of US President Donald Trump conducting a phone call with Russian President Putin without consultation with Western countries.
The British Prime Minister also called on Europe and the US to continue close cooperation, saying that the UK plays a special role in realizing the prospect of peace in the Eastern European region.
US special ambassador to Ukraine Keith Kellogg later said Ukraine and other European leaders may not participate in peace negotiations.
Another development on February 16 was that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Ukraine and Europe will participate in negotiations to end the conflict, while emphasizing that the dialogue between Russia and the US in the coming time will be seen as an opportunity to test Mr. Putin's seriousness towards peace.
US and Russian officials are expected to meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to kick off talks to end the three-year conflict in Ukraine.
