Mon Feb 17 16:13:41 UTC 2025: ## UK PM Offers Peacekeeping Troops for Ukraine, Amidst US-Russia Talks

**London, February 17, 2025** – UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced his willingness to deploy British peacekeeping troops to Ukraine if necessary, as the US and Russia prepare for bilateral talks in Riyadh on Tuesday to address the ongoing conflict. These talks, excluding EU and UK leaders, follow a Monday meeting in Paris between the EU and UK to discuss the war and upcoming negotiations.

In an article for the Telegraph, Starmer emphasized the UK’s commitment to providing security guarantees for Ukraine, including financial aid and potential troop deployment. He stressed Ukraine’s crucial role in any negotiations, warning that excluding Kyiv would legitimize Russia’s view of Ukraine’s sovereignty. He also called for stronger US security guarantees for Ukraine and increased European defense spending, echoing President Trump’s call for NATO members to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP. The UK currently allocates 2.3% and plans to increase this to 2.5%, although without a defined timeline.

Starmer expressed optimism about a potentially more favorable US-UK relationship under President Trump, citing Trump’s previously expressed positive regard for him. He plans to visit the White House later this month to push for a strong deal for Ukraine, emphasizing that only the US possesses the power to deter further Russian aggression. He explicitly warned against a repeat of the Afghanistan withdrawal, where the US negotiated directly with the Taliban, excluding the Afghan government. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has confirmed his unawareness of and non-participation in the upcoming US-Russia talks, despite Trump’s earlier claim of his involvement.

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