A former top British diplomat has told Sky News he is “wary” about the prospect of UK troops being sent to Ukraine as part of a potential “peacekeeping” force.
Lord Peter Ricketts, a former national security adviser to David Cameron, said it needed to be made “very clear” what role British troops would play and what would happen if a ceasefire agreement were to break down.
It comes after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was prepared to put “our own troops on the ground if necessary” as part of a deal to end the war with Russia.
Speaking to Sky’s Wilfred Frost, Ricketts said the comments, coupled with the meeting today of European leaders in Paris, represented a “very significant moment”.
But he added: “Personally I’m wary about the term peacekeeping. What it has meant in the past is putting your troops between two potential adversaries and, if necessary, willing to fight to keep the peace.
“That might mean British soldiers fighting Russians.”
Ricketts said he did not believe Moscow would “accept a peacekeeping force made up only of Ukraine’s friends.”
He added: “They would want their friends as well, so you might have Chinese or Iranian troops or others deployed on their side of the line.
“I think a better concept is a stabilisation force [of] European forces in Ukraine but not necessarily on the frontline.”
The former top diplomat said such a deployment would allow Western nations to show “support and solidarity” to Ukraine.
He added: “Let’s be very clear what it [a peacekeeping force] is for, and where it would deploy, and what would happen were a ceasefire to break down.”
Sergei Lavrov among Russian officials heading for talks with US
Russia has confirmed its foreign minister Sergei Lavrov will take part in talks with the US in Saudi Arabia.
Yuri Ushakov, a foreign policy advisor to President Vladimir Putin, will also join the delegation for the discussions tomorrow.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the meeting would focus on restoring US-Russia relations and setting up talks for a potential Ukraine peace deal.
Lavrov and Ushakov will fly to Riyadh today, he added.
It comes after US secretary of state Marco Rubio arrived in Saudi Arabia earlier this morning for the talks.
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