KEIR Starmer has called for the US to provide a “backstop” to deter Russia from attacking Ukraine again after meeting with European leaders for emergency talks on the war.
The Prime Minister said allies on the continent would have to “step up” in terms of both spending and capability as he spoke following talks with partners in Paris on Monday.
Starmer has said he would be prepared to put a peacekeeping force into Ukraine if there is a deal to end the war with Russia.
But after meeting counterparts in the French capital, he added: “Europe must play its role, and I’m prepared to consider committing British forces on the ground alongside others if there is a lasting peace agreement.
“But there must be a US backstop, because a US security guarantee is the only way to effectively deter Russia from attacking Ukraine again.”
When asked to clarify what he meant by a backstop, he failed to answer.
It comes just a week before the Prime Minister is to fly to the US for talks with Donald Trump as part of a visit announced earlier on Monday as the US president pushes for a deal with Russia amid fears of Kyiv remaining excluded from discussions.
“At stake is not just the future of Ukraine. It is an existential question for Europe as a whole, and therefore vital for Britain’s national interest,” Starmer added.
“This is a once-in-a-generation moment for the collective security of our own continent. Only a lasting peace in Ukraine that safeguards its sovereignty will deter Putin from further aggression in the future.
“Recent statements by the US administration should not come as a surprise. President Trump has long expressed the wish for Europe to step up and meet the demands of its own security, that he wants to get a lasting peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine.
“So today’s informal meeting of European leaders was a vital first step in responding to that. On defence, it’s clear the US is not going to leave Nato, but we Europeans will have to do more.
“The issue of burden-sharing is not new, but it is now pressing, and Europeans will have to step up, both in terms of spending and the capabilities that we provide.”
The UK Prime Minister, along with European allies, has insisted Ukraine’s voice must be at the heart of any peace deal with Russia amid fears of Washington and Moscow going over the heads of leaders on the continent.
It comes as US secretary of state Marco Rubio led a delegation to Saudi Arabia for discussions with Russian officials that will look to seek an end to the fighting.
Ukraine has not been invited to the talks and will not accept the outcome if Kyiv is not involved, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday.
