Britain ready to put 'boots on the ground' in Ukraine
The Defense Secretary today said Britain was ready to put 'UK boots on the ground' in Ukraine should Donald Trump 's talks with Vladimir Putin result in a ceasefire. John Healey outlined how British troops could help 'secure the safe skies, safe seas and build the strength of the Ukrainian forces' in the event of a peace deal.
The US President is due to meet with the Russian leader in Alaska later on Friday in an effort to end the three-year long conflict in Ukraine. Prior to departing Washington DC , Mr Trump looked ahead to 'high stakes' talks with Mr Putin and expressed confidence 'something is going to come' of the discussions.
Mr Healey told BBC Radio 4's Today program the 'coalition of the willing' of Ukrainian allies - including Britain - was poised to help enforce a ceasefire. But he refused to speculate on what might happen should British troops come under attack as part of a peacekeeping force in Ukraine.
'As the Prime Minister has said, in the circumstances of a ceasefire, we're ready to put UK boots on the ground in Ukraine,' the Defense Secretary said. 'That's in part to reassure Ukrainians but it's also, in part, to secure the safe skies, safe seas and to build the strength of the Ukrainian forces.'
Mr Healey added: 'The strongest deterrent against Russia reinvading or regrouping and relaunching their aggression against Ukraine is the strength of Ukraine to stand for itself.' Asked if British troops would fight or leave if they were attacked while in Ukraine, the Defense Secretary replied: 'Those are hypotheticals, so I'm really not going to discuss and can't discuss at this point.'
But Mr Healey said there were 'important principles' that ' any British forces have the right to defend themselves if attacked'. 'They are ready to go, they're ready to act from day one in a ceasefire,' he said of plans for the coalition of the willing to enforce a peace deal. 'We are setting up the joint headquarters with the French for that, the military plans are complete.'
The Defense Secretary dismissed suggestions the UK's approach to the war is to 'watch and wait'. He told BBC Breakfast: 'The UK's role is to stand with Ukraine on the battlefield and in the negotiations, and prepare, as we have been, leading 30 other nations with military planning for a ceasefire and a secure peace through what we call the coalition of the willing.
'Our role is to lead the charge, as we have been, on more intensive diplomacy, to lead the charge on military aid to Ukraine so that we don't jeopardize the peace by forgetting about the current war. 'And being ready also to step-up economic pressure on Putin if he's not willing to take the talks seriously.'
Sir Keir Starmer met with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday, and the pair expressed cautious optimism about the prospect of a truce 'as long as Putin takes action to prove he is serious' about ending the war, Downing Street said.
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