British media: US signals private support for Starmer’s Ukraine peacekeeping coalition

The United States has privately offered security guarantees for Sir Keir Starmer’s proposed "coalition of the willing".

US officials indicated a willingness to provide intelligence and logistical support for British and European troops tasked with enforcing a Ukraine peace deal from land, air, and sea, according to exclusive material by The Telegraph.

Donald Trump, after diplomatic talks between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin, said on Friday, “Russia and Ukraine, I think they’re coming along. I think we’re pretty close. No deadline. I just want to do it as fast as possible.”

The potential US support is seen by Downing Street as a major breakthrough, following two months of pressure from Prime Minister Starmer. However, whether Washington would intervene directly if Western forces were attacked remains uncertain.

Starmer, Trump, and French President Emmanuel Macron are all expected to attend the Pope’s funeral in Rome, where informal discussions on Ukraine could occur.

The "coalition of the willing" plan, championed by Starmer and Macron, envisions European forces helping uphold any peace deal. Over 30 nations have expressed support, though few have publicly committed troops. A major unresolved issue has been whether Washington would back the force.

Sir Keir, speaking to The Telegraph, said: “There are ongoing discussions and he’s said a number of times that he’d have our back, as you know. And I’ve been clear that that’s an important component of what we need to do.”

Publicly, Trump has avoided offering explicit guarantees but privately, US negotiators have signaled willingness to assist, particularly through intelligence sharing and logistical support.

No final agreement has been reached, with key issues such as Crimea’s status remaining contentious.

UK sources stress it is difficult to predict Trump’s ultimate decision. During Starmer’s Washington visit in February, Trump joked that Britain was strong enough to face Russia.

Operational plans have been divided into four areas: "skies," "sea," "land," and "regeneration." European forces could help police Ukrainian airspace and the Black Sea, with Ukrainian troops expected to remain on the front line to avoid Nato being drawn into direct conflict.

Plans for troop deployment are still under discussion, with some UK officials emphasizing a cautious approach. One Whitehall source commented: “We begrudgingly said ‘go on then’,” regarding early French proposals.

Meanwhile, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch warned against rash commitments, saying: “This is something that we need to be very careful about, in how we provide support. We should do it with the United States.”

By Tamilla Hasanova