Putin would accept European peacekeepers in Ukraine, Trump suggests
Sir Keir Starmer has previously said that he would be willing to put British troops on the ground as part of security guarantees.
Vladimir Putin would accept European peacekeepers in Ukraine in a deal to end the war, Donald Trump has suggested.
Sir Keir Starmer has previously said he would be willing to put British troops on the ground as part of security guarantees that could end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House on Monday, US President Mr Trump said their Russian counterpart “will accept” peacekeepers.
It comes on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion, as Sir Keir imposed further sanctions on Moscow in an attempt to force Mr Putin “not just to talk, but to make concessions”.
The Prime Minister has also reiterated his calls for a US “backstop” to any peace agreement, ahead of his own trip to Washington later this week.
Addressing reporters alongside Mr Macron, Mr Trump said of the Russian president’s reaction to peacekeepers in Ukraine: “Yeah, he will accept it.”
“I have asked him that question. Look, if we do this deal, he’s not looking for world war.”
Earlier this month, Sir Keir wrote in the Daily Telegraph that the UK was “ready to play a leading role” in Ukraine’s defence and security.
“It also means being ready and willing to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by putting our own troops on the ground if necessary,” he said.
“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”.
Russian officials have previously said that Moscow will not allow Nato or European troops to be deployed to Ukraine as peacekeepers.
In a later press conference, Mr Trump also expressed hope that the conflict would end soon and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would soon come to the US to sign a deal to give the US access to Ukraine’s critical minerals to repay support Washington has given since the start of the war.
“It looks like we’re getting very close,” Mr Trump told reporters at the start of his bilateral meeting with Mr Macron. He added that Mr Zelensky could potentially visit Washington this week or next to sign the deal.
The meeting between the French and American leaders came shortly after the US voted against a UN General Assembly resolution in New York demanding an immediate withdrawal of all Russian troops from Ukraine.
The non-binding resolution passed with 93 votes in favour. The US was one of 18 countries to vote against it, including North Korea, Burundi and Nicaragua, as well as Russia and close ally Belarus.
Sir Keir had earlier told a gathering of Ukraine’s allies that Mr Putin “does not hold all the cards in this war”.
This appeared to be a response to Mr Trump’s remarks last week that Russia has “the cards” in any peace talks because it has “taken a lot of territory”.
Sir Keir said a new package of UK sanctions will target Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, used to transport oil and goods in defiance of sanctions, as well as companies in China and elsewhere providing Moscow with military components.
“We must keep dialling up the economic pressure to get Putin to a point where he is ready not just to talk, but to make concessions,” he said in a remote address to a meeting of leaders in Kyiv.
The Foreign Office announced 107 new designations, that include 40 “shadow fleet” ships and 14 “new kleptocrats”, including Russian billionaire Roman Trotsenko, as part of the largest sanctions package since 2022.
North Korean officials involved in sending troops to fight for Russia, Kyrgyz bank OJSC Keremet, and companies in China, Turkey and India that supply tools and goods to Russia’s military, were also listed.
The UK will put another £20 million into medical and rehabilitation support for Ukrainians on the front line, doubling the project’s funding, the Ministry of Defence said.
The Home Office has also announced a move to widen travel sanctions for Kremlin-linked elites.
Local and federal politicians as well as managers or directors of large Russian companies will face exclusion from the UK under the rules, which come on top of existing travel bans on high-profile business figures such as former Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich.
Sir Keir also said the UK would “play its full part” and welcomed the lead the US is taking on peace negotiations during a call with G7 leaders including Mr Trump, whose overtures to the Russian president have alarmed Ukraine’s allies.
The Prime Minister paid tribute to Ukraine’s “resilience, courage and leadership” over the last three years, Sir Keir’s official spokesman said.
“He welcomed the lead President Trump is taking on delivering peace, and committed to working with him and other G7 leaders to deliver a just and lasting peace.”
Sir Keir told the meeting: “President Trump has changed the global conversation over the last few weeks, and it has created an opportunity. Now we must get the fundamentals right.
“If we want peace to endure, Ukraine must have a seat at the table, and any settlement must be based on a sovereign Ukraine backed up with strong security guarantees.
“The UK is ready and willing to support this with troops on the ground, with other Europeans and with the right conditions in place and, ultimately, a US backstop will be vital to deter Russia from launching another invasion in just a few years’ time.”
Downing Street clarified that Sir Keir meant the US president had changed the global conversation around Ukraine “for the better”.
“He’s brought about these talks that could bring lasting peace in Ukraine, which is what we all want to see,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said.
Later, Sir Keir welcomed members of the Ukrainian community to Downing Street and said finding lasting peace is “a duty on all of us”.
Among those present for the event were displaced Ukrainians, hosts from the Homes For Ukraine scheme and charity representatives.
Mr Macron’s talks in Washington come ahead of Sir Keir’s visit later this week. The US’s discussions with Russia last week and the President’s claims that Ukraine started the war have shattered the transatlantic alliance on the conflict.
Mr Trump has called on Nato countries to raise their defence spending, and Sir Keir is facing pressure to use the trip this week to confirm a timeline to raise UK defence spending to 2.5% of national income.
Former prime minister Boris Johnson has told The Telegraph that the target should be 3% in the next half decade.
“We should get to 3% by 2030,” Mr Johnson said.
