Military chiefs from some 30 countries gathered in Britain to discuss how the so-called “coalition of the willing” might function in practice to defend Ukraine in the future. European countries have been trying to take security matters into their own hands since the US stance under the Trump administration changed its stance on Europe and the Russia-UKraine war. Previously, On March 13, Defence Ministers from Europe’s top five military powers, France, Germany, Britain, Italy and Poland, met in Paris and reiterated support for the Ukrainian army.
“Everybody wants a peaceful outcome, a lasting peace, not least the Ukrainians. But that will only be lasting…if there is security arrangements in place to ensure that if there is a deal, it is a defended deal,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Thursday at the close-door meeting at the Northwood military base outside London.
Britain has taken a leading role in organising Western support for Ukraine alongside France after US President Donald Trump surprised Europe by initiating talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Starmer noted that previous meetings involving international political leaders had established a consensus that “we need to work together to ensure that any deal that is put in place is defended.”
“What’s happening here is turning that political intention into reality. The concept in the plans, whether that’s in relation to what might happen on the sea, air or on the ground,” Starmer said.
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According to news outlets, Starmer’s comments reflected the shift toward an operational phase.
“The purpose of these security arrangements is to make it clear to Russia that any breach of an agreement will carry severe consequences,” Starmer told reporters after the meeting. “That is why US involvement will be necessary,” he added.
Military Chiefs represented at the meeting included France, Poland, the Netherlands, Romania, Canada, Australia, and the United States, according to The Guardian. However, the United States has so far declined to commit to supporting any Western military presence in Ukraine.
In response, the Kremlin accused European countries of seeking “militarisation” rather than peace on Thursday.
“Europe has embarked on a militarisation of itself and has turned into somewhat of a war party,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Meanwhile, the next round of Russia-US talks on Ukraine is scheduled to take place on Monday next week in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said on Thursday.
On Tuesday, Trump and Putin held a phone conversation, agreeing on an initial step toward peace in Ukraine. However, Kyiv has reiterated its demand for direct involvement in peace talks, with major European countries reaffirming their support for Ukraine’s stance.
