Shadow Defence Minister Mark Francois has indicated the Conservatives would be open to deploying British troops in Ukraine, whilst emphasising that peace negotiations must include Ukrainian participation.
Speaking on GB News, Francois stressed that negotiations about Ukraine's future cannot be conducted without their involvement.
"These negotiations should involve the Ukrainians, they should not be excluded," he said.
The Shadow Defence Minister highlighted that any potential settlement between other parties would be ineffective without Ukrainian support.
Mark Francois claimed that Ukraine peace talks 'should not be on Putin's terms'
GB News / Reuters
"After everything that Ukraine has been through, it's almost exactly three years now since the invasion, it's not right to have negotiations about the future of their country above their head," Francois stated.
Francois outlined specific conditions that would need to be met before any British troops could be deployed to Ukraine.
"We in the opposition would be open minded about the potential of deploying some British troops, but you need to know how many, where, for how long and what exactly is the mission?" he explained.
The Conservative minister emphasised that deployment details would depend on the structure of any peace agreement.
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"It would depend how many you were deploying, and how often you were rotating them; it would all depend on the structure and nature of the deal, and then what other countries wanted to contribute," he said.
He cautioned against premature planning, stating: "Until you know the actual parameters of any agreement, you're putting the cart before the horse."
Francois also firmly rejected Moscow's attempt to veto Western troop presence in Ukraine.
"It's not his decision. If the Ukrainians asked for Western troops to be deployed into their country, if we knew what the mission was, Russia should not have a veto on that," Francois declared.
Francois told GB News that Ukraine should 'not be excluded' from talks
GB News
Francois drew attention to Nato's historical solidarity, noting Article V of the Washington Treaty has only been invoked once.
"It was invoked by the United States, in 2001 after 9/11 when nearly 4,000 Americans and some Brits who were working in the twins towers were murdered," he recalled.
He highlighted how European Nato nations, particularly the UK, responded swiftly to support their American allies.
Drawing on historical wisdom, Francois referenced World War One's Admiral Sir Jackie Fisher, who said "ultimately, all nations desire peace, but peace on their terms."
"Whatever these negotiations lead to, we cannot allow peace on Putin's terms," Francois concluded.
