UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is set to present US President Donald Trump with a plan to send 30,000 European troops to Ukraine, The Telegraph reports.
According to the report, Starmer will outline how European forces could oversee any ceasefire agreement brokered by Trump when they meet in Washington next week.
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The so-called “reassurance force,” reportedly spearheaded by the UK and France, was presented to European leaders at an emergency summit in Paris earlier this week.
The move comes amid concerns that Trump might quickly disengage from supporting Ukraine following a ceasefire deal with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, as outlined by the Telegraph.
Under the Anglo-French plan, the proposed force – about 30,000 ground troops – would be deployed to Ukrainian cities, ports, and critical infrastructure such as nuclear power plants, staying far from active front lines at the second echelon level.
The Telegraph has shared an infographic illustrating the possible deployment of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), which includes NATO members – the UK, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden.
According to the report, troops could be stationed at bases in Poltava, Dnipro, and Kryvyi Rih, while Ukrainian forces continue to defend the front lines. The infographic also highlights potential Russian attack routes.
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Peskov’s comments align with Bloomberg reports suggesting that Trump’s harsh rhetoric toward Zelensky has surpassed the Kremlin’s expectations, and Moscow now aims to capitalize on the situation.
Instead of a large-scale ground presence, the mission would rely on intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems, including drones and satellites, to provide real-time situational awareness (SA).
A Western official cited in The Telegraph described the operation as one that would have the necessary firepower to “monitor and shoot down” potential threats, reopen Ukraine’s airspace, and enable commercial flights.
This would differ from a “No-Fly Zone” in requiring positive individual identification of all air traffic rather than creating a free-fire pre-announced “if it flies it dies” set of rules of engagement (ROE).
Additionally, naval patrol vessels would be stationed in the Black Sea to track Russian threats to commercial shipping.
“The plan outlined by Western officials falls far short of the 200,000-strong peacekeeping mission demanded by Volodymyr Zelensky as the possible price for signing a peace deal,” the report read.
According to The Telegraph, opposition from Germany, Spain, and Italy to sending troops limits European options for securing Ukraine’s future.
Following talks in Paris, Starmer emphasized the need for a “US backstop” to deter Russian aggression. Western officials suggest this would involve US fighter aircraft in Romania and Poland, along with a larger NATO ground force stationed on the alliance’s eastern flank, ready to intervene if needed.
The strategy avoids direct NATO-Russia confrontation while ensuring European troops in Ukraine operate under a lighter framework. According to the report’s analyst authors, Trump may back the plan since it requires no US ground troop deployment inside Ukraine.
Meanwhile, NATO may need to clarify whether its Article 5 defense clause applies if Moscow retaliates against European countries involved in the mission.
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