Sir Keir Starmer has stated that the UK will participate fully in peacekeeping efforts in Ukraine.
During an interview with Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby, the prime minister emphasized that the conflict with Russia not only impacts Ukraine’s sovereignty but also affects the UK, including the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Sir Keir made these remarks during a surprise visit to Ukraine on Thursday, his first visit since his party’s significant election victory six months ago.
The purpose of the visit was to discuss the next steps for Ukraine, as the situation has become more uncertain following Donald Trump’s election win in November.
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Trump, whose inauguration is set for January 20th, has expressed his desire for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine within 100 days.
However, some European leaders are concerned that pressuring Kyiv into a deal could result in Ukraine relinquishing some of its territory to Vladimir Putin.
When asked if the UK would be willing to deploy British troops for peacekeeping, Sir Keir stated, “Well, I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, but I have indicated that we will play our full part – because this isn’t just about sovereignty in Ukraine.”
“It’s about what the impact is back in the United Kingdom and our values, our freedom, our democracy. Because if Russia succeeds in this aggression, it will impact all of us for a very, very long time.”
Upon arriving in Ukraine to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a Russian drone was shot down over the presidential palace.
Sir Keir stated that the drone incident serves as a reminder of the daily challenges Ukraine faces and emphasized that the war was instigated by “Russian aggression”.
In another part of the interview, Sir Keir was asked about his stance on Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO, a move strongly opposed by President Putin.
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During a NATO summit in Washington last summer, the alliance’s members declared that Ukraine was on an “irreversible” path to NATO membership.
The declaration affirmed, “We fully support Ukraine’s right to choose its own security arrangements and decide its own future, free from outside interference. Ukraine’s future is in NATO.”
Despite this, Mr. Zelenskyy has moderated his language regarding NATO membership, telling Sky News in an exclusive interview in November that a ceasefire deal could be achieved if Ukrainian territory under his control falls “under the NATO umbrella”, allowing for negotiations on the return of the rest later in a diplomatic manner.
Nevertheless, Mr. Trump has acknowledged Russia’s opposition to Ukraine joining NATO, stating, “Russia has somebody right on their doorstep, and I can understand their feeling about that.”
Watch the full interview with Beth Rigby and Sir Keir Starmer on the Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge at 7pm.