The Prime Minister's plan to use British troops to build a peacekeeping force in Ukraine would amount to "direct involvement in the war", a Russian minister has warned.
Partnering with French President Emmanuel Macron, Sir Keir Starmer has pushed for a new initiative which could see soldiers placed on Ukrainian soil if a peacekeeping deal were to be reached to deter Vladimir Putin from future attacks.
Additionally, Downing Street has refused to dismiss a "sky-shield" plan to stop Moscow from conducting missile attacks on the sovereign state.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov declared that the deployment of soldiers along the Ukrainian-Russian border would amount to the "direct, official and unveiled involvement of Nato members in the war against Russia".
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov declared that deployment of soldiers along the Ukrainian-Russian border would amount to the "direct, official and unveiled involvement of Nato members in the war against Russia"
REUTERS
He said: "It can't be allowed."
The UK has now signed an agreement with an Anglo-American security firm to send advanced attack drones to Ukraine while Donald Trump has frozen supplies to the war-torn country.
Earlier this week, the US President paused US military aid and intelligence-sharing following the disastrous White House bust-up between Volodymyr Zelensky and the Republican President last Friday.
"The fighting is going on and it’s a big mistake to think that all we’ve got to do is wait for a deal now," Starmer said.
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"We’ve got to make sure that if they are fighting on they’re in the strongest position and even if they go into negotiation that they’re in the strongest position," he added, speaking after a UK-Ireland summit.
It is believed that there was another meeting of the "coalition of the willing" European peacekeepers which included around 20 nations.
Starmer added that he refused to choose between the US and Europe as fears swiftly surge surrounding American support for Ukraine.
He said that he was focused on "getting the US, Ukraine and European allies onto the same page".
The PM met with the Irish Taoiseach yesterday
PA
He said that the choice between working with the US and working with Europe was "false", and vowed that "the safety and security of the British public is [his] number one duty".
"We've done that by working with the US – no two countries work as closely as we do on defence, security and intelligence – but also by working with our European partners".
"That's why I'm resisting those who are saying – Churchill didn't make the choice, Attlee didn't make the choice but they're now urging me to make the choice between the US and Europe. Wrong choice in my view," he concluded.
On Sunday, the PM announced with the "coalition of the willing" to work towards a peace agreement with key European leaders - including Emmanuel Macron - which would then be shown to the White House for approval.
