UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said late on Sunday that he is ready to send troops to Ukraine if necessary. His statement comes ahead of a meeting in Paris where European leaders will discuss security concerns following recent developments in US policy on the war.
Starmer wrote in the Daily Telegraph, “Any role in helping to guarantee Ukraine’s security is helping to guarantee the security of our continent, and the security of this country.”
“I do not say that lightly,” Starmer added, saying he felt “very deeply the responsibility that comes with potentially putting British servicemen and women in harm’s way.
“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 also said that he would meet with US President Donald Trump “in the coming days” and emphasized the UK’s “unique role” in strengthening cooperation between Europe and the United States.
“US support will continue to be crucial, and a US security guarantee is necessary for lasting peace, as only the US can prevent Putin from launching another attack,” Starmer said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The meeting in Paris will include leaders from Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Denmark. European Council president Antonio Costa, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, and Nato secretary general Mark Rutte will also attend. The discussions will focus on the situation in Ukraine and broader European security matters.
A French official said, “Because of the acceleration of the Ukrainian issue, and as a result of what US leaders are saying, there is a need for Europeans to do more, better, and in a coherent way, for our collective security.”
US President Donald Trump recently spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the war. He said on Sunday that he could meet Putin “very soon” and believes Russia wants to stop fighting.
US defense secretary Pete Hegseth has suggested that Ukraine may not join Nato or regain all of its lost territory. The new US administration has also indicated that Europe will no longer be its top security priority, as it shifts focus to China.
Russia has called for negotiations in Saudi Arabia to discuss Ukraine and European security. Some European leaders fear this could lead to demands that Nato reduce its presence in Eastern Europe.
No immediate breakthrough expected in US-Russia talks
US secretary of state Marco Rubio said no quick resolution is expected in upcoming discussions with Russia.
“A process towards peace is not a one-meeting thing,” he told CBS. He said the goal is to open broader talks that “would include Ukraine and would involve the end of the war.”
Rubio is traveling to Saudi Arabia after visiting Israel.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in the United Arab Emirates for a humanitarian visit. He has no plans to meet with Russian or US officials there.
Debate over Russia’s role in international groups
Trump recently said he would like Russia to rejoin the G7. France rejected the idea. French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said, “The G7 is the group of the most advanced great democracies… Russia behaves less and less like a democracy and unabashedly attacks other G7 members.”
European security concerns
Zelensky has called for a European army, saying Europe cannot rely on Washington. Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said Europe will not be directly involved in negotiations but will have an “input.”
Finnish President Alexander Stubb warned against any changes to European security agreements. “There’s no way in which we should open the door for this Russian fantasy of a new, indivisible security order,” he said.