Starmer said he was ready to send British peacekeepers to Ukraine

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is ready to deploy a British peacekeeping force in Ukraine. He said this in an interview with Sky News on 16 January.

According to him, London will play a "full role" in any peace talks on the Ukrainian conflict.

"Well, I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I've made it clear that we will play our full role because it's not just about Ukraine's sovereignty," he said when asked by reporters about the deployment of British peacekeepers.

Starmer added that the conflict was not only about "Ukraine's sovereignty" but also about its impact on the UK, including the cost-of-living crisis.

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Earlier, on January 15, The Telegraph reported that Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron were considering sending peacekeepers to Ukraine. It is specified that the details of these talks are still being kept secret. According to the newspaper, Starmer has not yet made a final decision.

The next day, the deputy chairman of the State Duma's defense committee, Yuriy Shvytkin, pointed out in a conversation with Izvestiya that NATO member states have no right to deploy a peacekeeping contingent on the territory of Ukraine because they are an interested party. He emphasized that he was against the deployment of French and British peacekeepers in Ukraine and added that this would escalate tension in the region and become a de facto occupation of the country.

Prior to that, on January 13, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose powers expired on May 20, 2024, said that he had discussed with French President Emmanuel Macron during a phone call the initiative to deploy Western military units. He also announced a pact of close cooperation in the development of effective security guarantees for Ukraine.

On January 10, it became known that Starmer would soon visit Ukraine to discuss the deployment of peacekeeping forces there after the end of the conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose term of office expired on May 20, 2024, added that the initiative to send peacekeepers to Ukraine was put forward by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Western countries have stepped up military and financial support for Ukraine amid Russia's special operation to protect Donbas, which was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24, 2022, after the situation in the region worsened due to shelling by the Ukrainian military.