UK proposes Western peacekeeping mission of 10,000 troops in Ukraine

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer presented plans to send 10,000 peacekeeping troops to Ukraine at a high-level virtual summit in London on March 15.

The summit, which included 29 international leaders, was organized by the U.K. with the purpose of creating a "coalition of the willing" that could secure Ukraine in the event of a peace deal with Russia.

Starmer's proposed peacekeeping contingent would include around 10,000 troops, mostly provided by the U.K. and France, U.K. military sources told the Sunday Times. Thirty-five countries have agreed to supply the peacekeeping mission with weapons, logistics, and intelligence support.

The peacekeeping mission will be "a significant force with a significant number of countries providing troops and a much larger group contributing in other ways,"  a senior government source said.

In addition to European nations, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand joined the call, as did NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

The proposed force of 10,000 is significantly smaller than the 30,000 troops Starmer reportedly pitched to U.S. President Donald Trump during their White House meeting on Feb. 20.

Previously, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that European partners would need to station 100,000 to 150,000 troops on Ukraine's front lines to effectively deter Russia.

U.K. defense sources told the Guardian on Feb. 18 that a much smaller European-led peacekeeping force could instead rely on intelligence, surveillance, and long-range monitoring to enforce a ceasefire.

Following the virtual summit, Starmer announced that "troops on the ground and planes in the sky" would provide security guarantees for Ukraine following a future peace deal.

The allied coalition will hold a second round of military talks on March 20, Starmer said.

While France and the U.K. have been the most vocal about sending troops to Ukraine, some countries, including Italy and Finland, have expressed reservations. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attended the summit and vocalized support for Ukraine, but said that Italy does not plan to participate in the proposed peacekeeping force.

The summit followed an eventful week of diplomacy, as Kyiv agreed to a 30-day ceasefire proposed by the U.S. on March 11. While the the Kremlin said it was ready to agree to the U.S.-backed ceasefire, it demanded that Kyiv limit military mobilization and training in addition to  the West halting military aid to Ukraine.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to hold a call this week to discuss the terms of the ceasefire, Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said on March 16.