The Daily Populous Monday February 17th, 2025 morning edition
Authored by dailymail.co.uk and submitted by Deedogg11

Keir Starmer says it's time to put boots on the ground in Ukraine and send British troops in to the country to enforce a peace deal with Vladimir Putin.

The PM says the UK needs to be 'ready and willing to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by putting our own troops on the ground if necessary'.

'I do not say that lightly,' Sir Keir wrote in The Telegraph.

'I feel very deeply the responsibility that comes with potentially putting British servicemen and women in harm's way. But any role in helping to guarantee security is helping to guarantee the security of our continent, and the security of this country.'

The premier made the announcement ahead of an emergency gathering of European leaders in Paris in response to President Donald Trump's push for a deal with Russian despot Putin and fears the US will reduce its defence commitments in the continent.

Sir Keir said the crisis was a 'once in a generation moment' and an 'existential' question for Europe.

Yet the PM has refused to boost military spending amid a defence crisis in Europe.

Government sources said he was still planning to spend 2.5 per cent of GDP on the Armed Forces – despite urgent calls to go beyond that figure – and that the timetable for reaching his goal would not be accelerated.

Keir Starmer says it's time to put boots on the ground in Ukraine and send British troops in to the country to enforce a peace deal with Vladimir Putin

The premier made the announcement ahead of an emergency gathering of European leaders in Paris in response to President Donald Trump 's push for a deal with Russian despot Putin

The Prime Minister said the UK was 'ready to play a leading role' in Ukraine's defence and security, including the commitment of £3billion a year until 2030.

But he said that along with military aid to Ukraine 'it also means being ready and willing to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by putting our own troops on the ground if necessary'.

'The end of this war, when it comes, cannot merely become a temporary pause before Putin attacks again,' he said.

Sir Keir has previously only hinted that British troops could be involved in safeguarding Ukraine after a ceasefire, but in an explicit message aimed at encouraging both European allies and Mr Trump to commit to deterring a future attack he confirmed he could deploy the military.

The Prime Minister, who is due to visit Mr Trump in Washington later this month, said: 'While European nations must step up in this moment - and we will - US support will remain critical and a US security guarantee is essential for a lasting peace, because only the US can deter Putin from attacking again.'

Representatives of the US administration and Russian counterparts are expected to meet in Saudi Arabia for talks following Mr Trump's direct phone conversation with Mr Putin on Wednesday.

But Ukrainian officials are not expected to be at the table at this stage, while other European leaders might not be involved in the process at all.

Sir Keir said: 'We must be clear that peace cannot come at any cost. Ukraine must be at the table in these negotiations, because anything less would accept Putin's position that Ukraine is not a real nation.'

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told NBC News that there will be no peace deal between Russia and Ukraine without Kyiv having a seat at the negotiating table

President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are to hold talks to reach an agreement to end the conflict in Ukraine without inviting other European leaders to engage in negotiations

French president Emmanuel Macron is hosting an emergency gathering in Paris after the White House's special envoy Keith Kellogg said European leaders will not have a place at the negotiating table

He warned of a repeat of the chaos that followed the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan under former president Joe Biden - which followed a deal struck with the Taliban under Mr Trump.

'We cannot have another situation like Afghanistan, where the US negotiated directly with the Taliban and cut out the Afghan government,' Sir Keir said.

'I feel sure that President Trump will want to avoid this too.'

He restated his position that Ukraine's path to Nato membership is 'irreversible' and suggested squeezing Russia's economy by going further on the oil price cap, targeting the shadow fleet used to transport exports, sanctioning of oil giants and taking action against banks enabling the evasion of sanctions.

The US stance on Ukraine and demands for Europe to do more to pay for and provide its own security increased pressure for greater defence spending across the continent.

The meeting in Paris called by French President Emmanuel Macron will see Sir Keir joined by leaders from Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark along with the presidents of the European Council and European Commission and the secretary general of Nato.

The summit will take place at the same time US and Russian officials meet in Saudi Arabia to negotiate an end to the Ukraine war – without Kyiv or Europe present.

Sir Keir is still resisting pressure to immediately set out a timetable for the 2.5 per cent target to be reached, following reports it could be after 2030. He is not expected to make any announcements on defence spending before he visits Mr Trump at the White House later this month.

A man films damaged shopping centre with his phone after a drone strike in Kharkiv on February 6, 2025

An explosion of a drone is seen in the sky over the city during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 5, 2025

Sir Keir said: 'I am heading to Paris today with a very clear message for our European friends.

'We have got to show we are truly serious about our own defence and bearing our own burden.'

But domestically, Sir Keir is unlikely to go beyond his commitment to set out a plan to increase defence spending to a 2.5% share of the economy, despite calls from Mr Trump to hike spending to 5% and Nato chief Mark Rutte's suggestion allies should spend more than 3%.

The UK currently spends around 2.3% of gross national product on defence.

Sir Keir said: 'These crucial days ahead will determine the future security of our continent.

'As I will say in Paris later today: Peace comes through strength. But the reverse is also true. Weakness leads to war.

'This is the moment for us all to step up - and the UK will do so, because it is the right thing to do for the values and freedoms we hold dear, and because it is fundamental to our own national security.'

Speaking on Sunday, Mr Trump said 'we're moving along, we're trying to get a peace with Russia and Ukraine and we're working very hard on it' and he promised that Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky 'will be involved'.

The US President has said Nato members should spend as much as 5 per cent on defence, while Nato plans to increase its benchmark from 2 per cent to above 3 per cent.

A government source said: 'Labour stated in its manifesto a commitment to set a path to 2.5 per cent and that remains the policy of the Government.'

Asked if the announcement of the roadmap will now be sped up, the insider said: 'We'll do the Strategic Defence Review then set it out.'

The 'roadmap' to 2.5 per cent and the review, assessing the threats facing the UK, are not expected until the spring.

Ukrainian firefighters try to put out a fire in a building after a drone strike in Kharkiv on February 5, 2025

It came as former Tory PM Sir John Major warned the world would be 'rather more dangerous' if the US does not support its allies. And he said 'tin-pot dictators' would be emboldened if Mr Trump rushes into a peace deal that gives Putin control of Ukrainian territory.

Former Labour security minister and head of the Navy Lord West told the Mail the Government would be making 'yet another major political error' as well as 'betraying the British people' if it fails to increase defence spending immediately.

He said: 'I just think it's a terrible error. If one looks at the state of the world and the state of our Armed Forces, it's quite clear we need to increase defence spending.

'I don't think it will go down well with Trump or Europe.'

Last night Tory defence spokesman James Cartlidge said there was no excuse for the PM not to act after dire warnings at the Munich Security Conference.

'It is critical that we get confirmation of a sustained spending increase as soon as possible, so that we can commence the critical task of rearmament that should have started months ago,' he said.

A government source dismissed reports Sir Keir was going to overrule his Chancellor and increase defence spending beyond the existing target and added: 'The policy is still to set a path to 2.5 per cent.'

The Mail on Sunday told how the former head of the Army has warned Sir Keir will be 'consigned to the bin of history' if he does not significantly increase defence spending.

A view of the damaged Lgov town after the Ukrainian army launched attacks in Kursk Oblast, Russia on January 16, 2025

Lord Dannatt said: 'Unless Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves can find ways of producing more money, well beyond 2.5 per cent towards 3 per cent or 3.5 per cent for starters, then this Strategic Defence Review is going to be hollow, it's going to be a failure and, frankly, it'll consign Keir Starmer to the bin of history.'

The PM held one-to-one meetings on Friday with Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, as well as the heads of the Army, RAF and Royal Navy.

The Sunday Times said the service chiefs want spending to reach 2.65 per cent of GDP but government sources insisted no formal request has been made.

Asked yesterday by the BBC if the UK needed to go even further than 2.5 per cent, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds pointed out that the current figure of 2.3 per cent of GDP does not include spending on the intelligence services.

Latest figures show the UK spent £54 billion on defence last year and another £4.4 billion on the security services.

Defence Secretary John Healey believes how the money is spent is also important and will set out details of his reform agenda in a major speech this week.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'Our Budget increased defence spending by £2.9 billion for next year and we are committed to setting a path to 2.5 per cent.'

Jurassic_Bun on February 17th, 2025 at 03:04 UTC »

Britain is absolutely not prepared or ready for a war which means Russia would be in real trouble as Britain has historically never been prepared or ready and often comes out on top.

Odd-Cartographer5262 on February 17th, 2025 at 02:54 UTC »

"But he said that along with military aid to Ukraine 'it also means being ready and willing to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by putting our own troops on the ground if necessary'."

I don't know if the title is misleading or Britain will station soldiers in Ukraine, I'm just getting confused at this point.

[deleted] on February 17th, 2025 at 02:39 UTC »

He’s right. Save Ukraine please