British army dismisses Starmer's Ukraine peacekeeping plan
The British army has rejected Prime Minister Keir Starmer's plan to send a peacekeeping contingent to Ukraine as part of a "coalition of the willing," reports The Telegraph, citing high-ranking military sources.
According to them, the military leadership considers the prime minister's announcements to be "political theater."
— Starmer got ahead of himself with talk of boots on the ground before he knew what he was talking about, which is why we hear less about it now and more about jets and vessels which are easier to do and don’t need basing in Ukraine — said one of the newspaper's sources.
Will the coalition of the willing collapse?
Another source added that discussions about creating a "coalition of the willing" are complicated because no one knows what the mission should entail.
— What is a 10,000-international force based in the west of the country over 400 kilometers from the front line meant to do? It cannot even protect itself — noted the interlocutor, reminding us that a 700,000-strong Russian army is located in and around Ukraine.
He also pointed out that many unknowns remain: where the soldiers would be stationed, who would supply them, who would command them, and how long they would stay in Ukraine. — It’s politics. There’s no military sense in it, — he assessed.
Earlier, Bloomberg sources indicated that the White House is hoping for a ceasefire by April 20, when both Orthodox and Catholics will celebrate Easter. However, according to The Telegraph, the UK will not even have a preliminary peacekeeping plan ready by that time.
Meanwhile, on March 24, the Chief of the Defense Staff of the United Kingdom, Admiral Tony Radakin, will meet with his French colleagues in London to discuss details of a potential peacekeeping mission, writes The Telegraph.
— The process underway, led by Prime Minister Starmer and President Macron, is preparing Europe and Ukraine for whatever comes next, and while providing a running commentary on the potential [mission] options would be unhelpful to the planning and detrimental to potential peace, no one should be in any doubt that this work is critical and substantial — said Radakin.
Plan of France and the United Kingdom
The peace plan by Starmer and Macron envisions a 30-day ceasefire in the air and sea during the first stage, with a halt to attacks on energy infrastructure. In the second stage, the deployment of peacekeeping forces in Ukraine is forecasted. The day before, Starmer stated that Europe must have a plan in the event of a peace agreement.
Stramer argued that Europe cannot wait for the agreement between Ukraine and Russia and should take immediate action. He emphasised that Europe should play a key role in ensuring Ukraine's security.
Russian authorities have repeatedly opposed the presence of peacekeeping forces from NATO and EU countries on Ukrainian territory. The Kremlin has warned that sending such forces would cause additional tensions in relations between Moscow and the West.
