Britain is considering sending troops to Ukraine for five years under new plans
Britain is considering sending troops into Ukraine for five years under new plans to defend against a second Russian invasion, it has been reported.
Britain is considering sending troops into Ukraine for five years under new plans to defend against a second Russian invasion, it has been reported.
Soldiers could be deployed to help train and reconstitute the Ukrainian forces in measures that would shield the war-torn nation from further attacks.
The scheme, raised in discussions led by Britain and France, would use a European-led force as a deterrence in a bid to uphold a peace agreement between the embattled nations, The Telegraph reports.
Under the plans, the reassurance force would offer to protect Ukraines skies and sea boarders.
They would also rebuild and retrain the depleted Ukrainian army as they race to outpace Moscows efforts to rebuild their war-mongering capabilities.
The coalition of the willing would withdraw troops in stages, with the final soldiers leaving after around five years.
French military experts have argued that Putin would be highly unlikely to launch another invasion into Ukraine if Western forces were present, the broadsheet reports.
It comes after the Defence Secretary pledged that plans for a peacekeeping force in Ukraine are real and substantial after hosting a meeting of defence ministers from 30 countries at Nato headquarters in Brussels.
Servicemen of the 24th Mechanized Brigade improve their tactical skills on the training field at an undisclosed location in the east of Ukraine
The Defence Secretary pledged that plans for a peacekeeping force in Ukraine are real and substantial after hosting a meeting of defence ministers from 30 countries at Nato headquarters in Brussels
Calling for allied forces to put more pressure on Putin, he said: We cannot jeopardise the peace by forgetting about the war.
The daily reality for millions of Ukrainians continues, drone attacks, missile strikes, brutal fighting on the front line, so we must put more pressure on President Putin to end his war and we must step up support for Ukraine both in the fight and in the push for peace.
The meeting, co-hosted by Mr Healey and his French counterpart, Sebastien Lecornu, was intended to continue planning for the reassurance force that could be deployed to Ukraine in the event of a peace agreement.
He continued: We advance the momentum of that planning here today, planning to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position to protect its sovereignty and to deter any further Russian aggression.
While todays discussions will be private, our planning is real and substantial.
He added that the coalition had clear objectives for Ukraine, including safe skies, safe seas, peace on land and a strengthening of Kyivs armed forces.
But the prospect of a ceasefire still appears distant, as Russia has effectively rejected a US-backed proposal for a 30-day pause in hostilities.
Last month, Moscow and Kyiv agreed to a truce in the Black Sea, but the Kremlin has pushed for some sanctions to be lifted before it comes into effect.
Soldiers could be deployed to help train and reconstitute the Ukrainian forces in measures that would shield the war-torn nation from further attacks from Putin
A serviceman of the 68th Oleksa Dovbush Separate Jaeger Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine fires a BM-21 Grad multiple-launch rocket system toward Russian troops
Meanwhile, the fighting continues. Russia carried out airstrikes against Kyiv earlier in the week while Ukraine claims to have captured Chinese nationals fighting for the Russian army.
Mr Healey went on to say that further military support would be announced on Friday at a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, which he will chair alongside German defence minister Boris Pistorius.
Meetings of the defence contact group had been chaired by the US defence secretary, until Donald Trump became president in January.
Since then, in a sign of the USs disengagement from European security, Mr Healey has taken over that duty, chairing his first such meeting in February.
The MOD and the FCDO have been contacted for comment.