Starmer: The issue of British troops in Ukraine may be put to a parliamentary vote

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has suggested that parliament should approve the deployment of British troops to Ukraine, UNN writes, citing The Guardian.

Details

Starmer dismissed criticism from Russia, saying it cannot rule Europeans in what they want to achieve.

He was also asked whether his plans to deploy support forces to Ukraine would require a vote in parliament, answering "we are not at that stage yet."

We are at the stage of turning the political moment into operational plans, considering different options, and then moving on to the next work with the chiefs of defense agencies. (...) But you know my long-standing position, which is that if we are deploying in any scenario on a long-term basis, then, of course, parliament should have a say on this," said Starmer.

Starmer was also asked by a French journalist about French President Emmanuel Macron's comments that the couple is now "piloting" a coalition.

He said that "several countries" have asked the two of them to take the lead as they focus on "advancing these efforts and on the next stages."

But Starmer noted that it is not about the two of them, but about a group of countries that are collectively responding, with Europe "rising" to this new role.

Asked about the details of any future forces that could be deployed in Ukraine, he said they would build on the power of the Ukrainian army with "forces designed to deter, to send a message to Putin that this is a deal that will be defended."

Addition

The Paris summit brought together about thirty countries of the European Union and/or NATO, ready to provide security guarantees to Ukraine in the event of a peace agreement with Russia, but the United States is not participating in this.

The meeting was supposed to discuss the prospect of deploying guarantee forces in Ukraine as part of a future peace settlement with the support of the United States.

After world leaders gathered in Paris for the "coalition of the willing" summit to support Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held the first talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Zelenskyy previously noted that Ukraine expects more specifics from the "coalition of the willing" summit in Paris on which countries are ready to join the security guarantees for our state. In particular, it concerns sending a peacekeeping contingent.

Macron planned to use the meeting of leaders to discuss what he called a "force of reassurance" of European soldiers who could be stationed at strategic points throughout Ukraine to deter Russia from re-attacking after a peace is reached, adding that it could respond to any aggression.