Alert – Furious Kremlin says Keir Starmer’s plan for 30,000-strong peacekeeping force in Ukraine using British troops is unacceptable and would pose a threat to Russia – after PM backed Zelensky amid row with Trump

An Anglo-French plan to deploy up to 30,000 troops as part of a peacekeeping force to bolster Ukraine’s security following an impending ceasefire deal with Russia has been labelled an ‘unacceptable, direct threat’ by the Kremlin. 

Sir Keir Starmer is set to outline a proposal during a visit to Washington next week that would see Britain and France take responsibility for safeguarding Ukraine on the ground, provided the US and other NATO countries provide air cover.

Ukraine’s armed forces would patrol a demilitarised zone spanning the length of the frontline, while troops from an Anglo-French ‘reassurance force’ would be stationed at key infrastructure sites across the country.

The Western troop presence would seek to deter future Russian attacks with US fighter jets and missiles remaining on standby in Eastern Europe as a ‘backstop’. 

NATO air and naval assets would also perform reconnaissance missions over Ukraine and in the Black Sea. 

The American backstop would be implemented to ensure ‘that ‘whatever forces are deployed will not be challenged by Russia,’ an official with knowledge of the plan told the Telegraph. 

But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov this morning dismissed the proposal as ‘unacceptable’ after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow views the idea of having NATO member troops on the ground in Ukraine as a ‘direct threat’ to Russian security.

Starmer reportedly hatched the plan in conjunction with French President Emmanuel Macron amid fears the US under Donald Trump could abandon Ukraine altogether after striking a deal directly with Russia, according to the Telegraph.

It comes as the rift between Washington and Kyiv grows wider, with Trump issuing a scathing attack on Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday in which he made several false statements and labelled his Ukrainian counterpart a ‘dictator without elections’ – even with Ukraine subject to martial law. 

Sir Keir Starmer is set to outline a proposal during a visit to Washington next week that would see Britain and France take responsibility for safeguarding Ukraine on the ground

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's relationship with Donald Trump is souring rapidly

Rescuers of the State Emergency Service work to extinguish a fire in a building after a drone strike in Kharkiv

A Western force of 30,000 troops is far less than the 200,000 Zelensky has previously said would be required by Kyiv to guarantee long-term security.  

But it is looking increasingly unlikely that Western nations will commit to stationing a larger force on Ukrainian soil. 

The US has effectively ruled out putting boots on the ground in Ukraine altogether as delegates from Washington held preliminary negotiations with their Russian counterparts in Saudi Arabia this week - notably in the absence of Ukrainian representatives.  

There is also mounting evidence that Trump is prepared to strike a deal with Putin in short order to bring the conflict to an end, even if the agreement is highly unfavourable for Kyiv.

Last week, Starmer said the UK would continue to support Ukraine indefinitely and confirmed he would be willing to deploy troops to ensure Kyiv's long-term security if needed.

'I feel very deeply the responsibility that comes with potentially putting British servicemen and women in harm's way,' he said. 

'But any role in helping to guarantee security is helping to guarantee the security of our continent, and the security of this country.' 

He doubled down last night, personally telephoning Zelensky to reiterate the UK's support and likened him to Winston Churchill - who also did not face elections during wartime. 

And this morning, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told the BBC that Britain will stand firm alongside Zelensky's government in light of Trump's shocking comments questioning the legitimacy of the Ukrainian President's authority yesterday.

Ukrainian soldiers of Khartya brigade receive training on shooting drones down in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine on February 18, 2025

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting during a visit to the Radar MMS research and production enterprise, manufacturing air and sea drones, in St. Petersburg, Russia, 19 February 2025

U.S President Donald Trump, listens to a question during a brief press conference following the signing of executive orders at his Mar-a-Lago resort, February 18, 2025

Tracers are seen in the night sky as Ukrainian servicemen fire at the drone during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 8, 2025

Zelensky has long ruled out giving up the Ukrainian territories annexed by Russia, whose forces currently control roughly one-fifth of the country. 

But it appears that all potential plans to provide Kyiv with security guarantees are now operating on the understanding that Ukraine will have to squander large amounts of its territory as part of a ceasefire deal. 

Russia has also stated that Ukraine would have to relinquish control of a small amount of Russian territory its forces managed to seize in Kursk as part of a counteroffensive last year as part of any peace deal. 

US Defence Secretary Hegseth openly declared last week at a meeting in Brussels that the prospect of Ukraine regaining its pre-2014 borders as part of a peace deal was 'unrealistic'.

'We want, like you, a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine. But we must start by recognising that returning to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective,' Hegseth told the meeting of Ukrainian officials and more than 40 allies.

'Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering,' he added.

Unsurprisingly, this notion was not well received by European politicians, most of whom have spent the past 36 months supporting Ukraine's war effort.

The feeling was perhaps summed up best by former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt, who sarcastically remarked on Hegseth's speech: 'It's certainly an innovative approach to a negotiation - to make very major concessions even before they have started.'

It's not clear exactly how much of its territory Ukraine would be expected to renounce under a Trump-negotiated peace plan, but Washington appears open to freezing the frontline in place. 

US Special Presidential Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg, 80, (pictured with JD Vance) has encouraged Europe to join the conversation about the Ukraine-Russia conflict, but ultimately said they won't have a final say in the resolution

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz meet U.S. soldiers as they visit airbase in Powidz, Poland February 15, 2025

Sir Keir Starmer has said the UK is 'ready to play a leading role' in Ukraine's defence and security, including the commitment of £3billion a year until 2030 and willingness to deploy troops to ensure a peace deal is upheld

An explosion of a drone is seen in the sky over the city during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 5, 2025

Should the US force Ukraine to give up some or all of the territory annexed by Putin's troops, the next challenge is to ensure that Russia does not simply take up arms again and push for more territory months or years down the line. 

For Ukraine, the answer to that question was, until recently, very obvious: NATO membership.

The transatlantic security bloc's famous Article 5 - the cornerstone of its founding treaty in 1949 - stipulates that an armed attack against one or more of its members 'shall be considered an attack against them all'.

But the White House has other ideas.

'The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement,' Hegseth told Ukrainian delegates and European defence chiefs last week.

He later gave a half-hearted caveat, adding that in regard to the likelihood of Ukraine's future NATO membership, 'everything is on the table'.

But NATO operates on a unanimous voting system, meaning that the US can bar Ukraine from joining the bloc even if the other 31 member nations are in favour. 

Hegseth also rounded on America's European partners in NATO, declaring the White House would 'no longer tolerate an imbalanced relationship that encourages dependency'.

His comments came days after Trump declared he expects NATO's European nations to boost their defence spending to 5% of GDP as part of their security commitments - more than double what most members are currently paying.

This stance suggests that Ukraine's hopes of joining NATO are effectively dead in the water.

It remains to be seen how Article 5 will be implemented should Anglo-French troops suffer an attack while stationed in Ukraine under the plan Prime Minister Starmer is expected to present in Washington next week.

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