Starmer ready to send thousands of British soldiers to Ukraine 'for years' – The Times

Keir Starmer has signaled readiness for a long-term military commitment in Ukraine, with thousands of British troops potentially deployed "for years" to uphold a peace deal and counter Russian threats, The Times reported on Sunday, citing a high-ranking government insider. 

"This will be a long-term obligation — we’re talking years, as long as it takes to maintain the peace agreement and deter Russia," the source said.

Starmer dodged specifics on whether peacekeepers would be authorized to fire on Russian forces if attacked.

Following a March 15 virtual summit of the "coalition of the willing," Starmer announced that defense chiefs worldwide will convene in London on March 20 to hammer out deployment details — a sign the multinational peacekeeping mission is shifting to an operational phase.

The meeting will focus on pinpointing where in Ukraine to station forces, building on European plans for a 30,000-strong contingent to secure a ceasefire, reliant on U.S. air and intelligence support but not ground troops.

German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall offered to arm the mission on March 13.