Downing Street said ‘nothing is off the table’ when asked if Keir Starmer was shifting focus away from deploying British troops to enforce a peacekeeping operation in Ukraine if a deal is reached
No10 has shot down reports that Keir Starmer is wavering on sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine.
A spokesman for the PM said “nothing is off the table” amid speculation that his focus could shift to air and sea support. It comes after he did not repeat his pledge to put boots on the ground on Thursday.
Asked if the Prime Minister was rowing back, the Downing Street spokesman said: “No, nothing is off the table on any of these fronts. So I wouldn’t start ruling anything out.
“But clearly thousands of troops will be required to support any deployment, whether that is at sea, on land or in the air. Any of those deployments will require significant support, whether that be through intelligence, force protection for critical national infrastructure such as ports or airfields, or ground support crew for aircraft.
“And then, of course, there’s the basic logistics of feeding and moving people and ensuring deployment rotations. So the PM said we need to be prepared for all eventualities out of these negotiate options.”
Mr Starmer has repeatedly said he is willing to put boots on the ground if a peace deal is agreed. The UK would be part of a “coalition of the willing”, with talks ongoing with defence chiefs over how that would work.
No10 says there is a “spectrum of support”, with some members more likely to provide logistical support than Armed Forces on the ground. The Prime Minister has insisted he will only send in troops to enforce a peace deal if there is a US security guarantee, which has not been forthcoming from Donald Trump.
Speaking on Thursday, Mr Starmer said: “We’re looking at the sea in one scenario, the sky, obviously land and borders and regeneration.” The Financial Times reported that the PM was shifting focus from boots on the ground.
Earlier Energy Secretary Ed Milliband told Sky News: “I think people are over-interpreting what the Prime Minister said yesterday.” He said the “coalition of the willing” – nations prepared to provide military support for a peace deal – is still mapping out its plans as he urged the public not to “jump to conclusions”.
It comes after Mr Starmer said Vladimir Putin respects Britain’s nuclear capabilities. Asked if this was the case he said: “Yes. The UK is, within Europe, one of the leading nations on defence and security because we have our own independent deterrent and we’re committed to Nato.”
The PM said the nuclear deterrent was more important than ever, saying: “It’s been an incredible effective deterrent for decades and we must not take that for granted… the last few years and the last few months have been a reminder across the country, across Europe, how important that first duty of defence and security really is.”