US 'backstop' necessary for peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, Starmer says ahead of Trump meeting

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Feb. 26 that a U.S. "backstop" for a potential Europeacekeeper contingent in Ukraine would be necessary to ensure a just and lasting peace, Reuters reported.

Starmer is heading to Washington to meet U.S. President Donald Trump and convince him to continue playing a role in Ukraine's security amid Russian aggression.

Recent weeks saw major geopolitical shifts as the Trump administration has adopted more antagonistic rhetoric toward Ukraine and other partners while intensifying diplomatic outreach to Russia in an effort to broker a swift agreement.

The U.S. president has avoided making any security commitments to Kyiv and made clear he expects Europe to take up responsibility for Ukraine's defense.

"I'm absolutely convinced that we need a lasting peace, not a ceasefire, and for that to happen, we need security guarantees," Starmer told journalists during his trip to Washington.

The Telegraph previously reported that Starmer aims to present Trump with a plan to deploy up to 30,000 European peacekeepers in Ukraine to monitor a ceasefire. While Trump has backed the idea of a European peacekeeping force, there is no consensus among European partners, and Moscow has rejected it outright.

The British prime minister reiterated that the U.K. is ready to take part in the mission but added that a U.S. "backstop" would be essential for such a plan, without elaborating on what concrete measures he expects from Washington.

Starmer's visit follows that of French President Emmanuel Macron, who also sought to convince Trump to remain engaged in Ukraine. Macron has reportedly failed to receive any clear commitments about a U.S. backstop, with an undisclosed EU official describing the trip as a "waste of time" in comments for Politico.