UK, France advance plans to contribute troops to European peacekeeping force in Ukraine

The UK is pushing ahead with plans to offer British troops as part of a European peacekeeping force in Ukraine, as European leaders prepare to present US President Donald Trump with a proposed package of security guarantees for any postwar agreement with Russia.

Officials from the UK and France are expected to discuss the broader European commitment to forming a peacekeeping force, which could play a significant role in securing more US support, despite some European reluctance, Caliber.Az reports, referencing foreign media.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to meet Trump in Washington in two weeks to outline the UK’s role in Ukraine’s peace process, sources familiar with the situation revealed.

Starmer is anticipated to join other European leaders, including Germany’s Olaf Scholz and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, in Paris on February 17 for urgent discussions convened by French President Emmanuel Macron. The talks will focus on the UK's potential role in bridging European and US efforts after Trump recently shocked European leaders by agreeing with Russian President Vladimir Putin to begin negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

“There is a role the United Kingdom can play, which is in that bridge between European allies and our US allies,” said Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds on Sunday. “We can be the bridge that strengthens that relationship.”

Starmer added that Britain would work to keep the US and Europe united, stating, “We cannot allow any divisions in the alliance to distract from the external enemies we face.”

The meeting in Paris is expected to include discussions on European troop deployments to Ukraine during a ceasefire, ongoing weapon supplies to Kyiv, and what kind of security guarantees Europe can offer Ukraine. The talks will also address how to convince Trump to support these guarantees, though no decisions have yet been made.

From Europe’s perspective, there is a strong push to strengthen ties and prevent being sidelined in future peace talks. With US and Russian officials set to meet in Saudi Arabia soon, some European leaders worry about being left out of negotiations that could result in an unfavourable deal for Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, however, emphasized that he would “never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia about Ukraine,” asserting Ukraine’s central role in any resolution.

Trump’s administration has indicated that European nations should shoulder more responsibility for their own defence. The president has called for NATO members to allocate 5% of their GDP to defence, a stark contrast to the 3.4% spent by the US. This shift is prompting European officials to prepare a significant new defence spending package, with Starmer facing domestic pressure to raise the UK’s defence expenditure to 2.5% of GDP from the current 2.3%.

Meanwhile, Reynolds highlighted the need for increased defence spending, adding that the government recognizes more funds will be required. Starmer is also under pressure to allocate funds for the defence budget amid concerns over the US pulling back support from Europe.

In addition, the UK is working with the US to avoid the 25% tariffs on steel and aluminium imports set to take effect next month. Reynolds argued that British exports, such as specialized products like submarine casings, are vital to the US and should not face additional costs.

By Tamilla Hasanova