Germany has rejected Keir Starmer’s peace plan for Britain to deploy troops to Ukraine to support any proposed peacekeeping deal.
The Prime Minister had declared that the UK should take centre stage in post-war security guarantees for Ukraine – which would involve putting British troops “in harm’s way” to police a potential ceasefire.
In response, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz slammed the proposal as “completely premature” and “highly inappropriate”, admitting that he was “a little irritated” after yesterday’s meeting of Europe’s leaders in Paris yesterday.
Scholz left the meeting early as rifts between national leaders became evidence over the future of a “European army” to maintain the peace.
While Britain, France and Sweden favoured the idea of supporting Ukraine with a peacekeeping force, Germany, Poland and Spain were seemingly reluctant towards the strategy.
“It is completely premature and the completely wrong time to be having this discussion now. I am even a little irritated by these debates,” Scholz told reporters.
He explained that such negotiations on troops’ deployment were being conducted “over the heads of Ukrainians about the outcome of peace talks that haven’t even started”.
He added: “This is highly inappropriate, to put it bluntly and honestly – we don’t even know what the outcome will be.”
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Ukraine peacekeeping force would be greater than that of Afghan war, ex Tory minister warns
A European peacekeeping force in Ukraine would be a larger commitment than the Afghanistan war, an ex-Tory minister has warned.
Former Defence Secretary Sir Gavin Williamson has added that such a promise from the PM could even risk direct conflict – although he admitted that Britain must take on a leadership role.
Williamson said: “It is right that Britain takes a leadership role, but there has to be a reality check in that it is going to be incredibly expensive, not just in equipment but also in personnel.”
He told The i: “What we are talking about is a significant commitment that will actually be more significant than even the Afghan war, because in the Afghan war you were not dealing with a peer enemy.”