UK Prime Minister Plans to Discuss Deploying Peacekeeping Forces in Ukraine

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to visit Ukraine in the "coming weeks" to discuss the possibility of deploying international peacekeeping forces there in the event of a ceasefire, Bloomberg reports.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned Starmer’s planned visit after a meeting with allies at Germany’s Ramstein airbase, without specifying when the UK Prime Minister would travel to Ukraine.

A Bloomberg source clarifies that Starmer's visit is being scheduled against the backdrop of Europe ramping up preparations for Trump’s return to the White House.

This will be Starmer's first visit to Ukraine since assuming the role of UK Prime Minister, according to Bloomberg.

The deployment of European contingents to Ukraine as a guarantee of a potential ceasefire agreement has been under discussion following a meeting on December 7 in Paris between French President Emmanuel Macron, newly elected President Donald Trump, and Volodymyr Zelensky.

In mid-December 2024, Reuters, citing assessments from analysts and sources, reported that the number of European troops could range between 40,000 and 100,000, with the majority likely to consist of forces from France, Germany, and Italy, along with those from Poland and the UK.

Later, Zelensky stated that he had discussed the possibility of deploying a peacekeeping mission with European leaders, and that there are "positive signals" regarding the initiative.