Keir Starmer requires the US to behave as a ‘backstop’ to discourage Russia from attacking Ukraine – as he repeats vow to get UK troops on the bottom

Keir Starmer tonight called for the US to act as a ‘backstop’ to deter Russia from attacking Ukraine again. 

The PM warned it was the only path to lasting peace in Ukraine, but stopped short in saying whether that would include America deploying its troops. 

But it will dominate discussions between Sir Keir and Donald Trump when the PM visits the US President for talks in Washington next week. 

Sir Keir said allies on the continent would have to ‘step up’ in terms of both spending and capability as he spoke at a press conference following a crisis summit in Paris with other European leaders.

He said: ‘Europe must play its role, and I’m prepared to consider committing British forces on the ground alongside others if there is a lasting peace agreement.

‘But there must be a US backstop, because a US security guarantee is the only way to effectively deter Russia from attacking Ukraine again.’

The premier reiterated his vow to send British troops to Ukraine but warned any peacekeeping deal must come with a US ‘backstop’. 

Asked what that would mean, Sir Keir said they were in the early stages of discussions but that it was important to ‘maintain peace through strength’. 

‘And what I mean by that is making sure that Ukraine is in the strongest possible position,’ he said.

‘It would be a big mistake to think that just because there may be talks that now is the time to back down on any support for Ukraine, we need to ramp it up in my view and I’ve been saying that for many months now.

‘What we also need to do is to ensure that if there is an agreement, it is a lasting and enduring and just agreement that secures the sovereignty of Ukraine and that has to be at the heart of it.

‘And then, of course, the question of security guarantees.

‘But whether it’s on security guarantees or the wider collective defence in terms of funding or capability, I think this is the moment for European countries to step up, and I am going to ensure the UK is a leading country in that endeavour.’

Sir Keir has said he would be prepared to put a peacekeeping force into Ukraine if there is a deal to end the war with Russia.

But after meeting counterparts in the French capital, he added: ‘Europe must play its role, and I’m prepared to consider committing British forces on the ground alongside others if there is a lasting peace agreement.’

In a boost for hopes that a deal can be reached, Mr Trump’s envoy to Ukraine did not rule out US troops joining a peacekeeping mission alongside European soldiers in Ukraine. 

It came after European leaders clashed at an emergency summit in Paris, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stunning fellow leaders by even leaving the talks early. He claimed that he needed to leave early to go campaigning ahead of the German election this week.

Sir Keir used the gathering to try and persuade divided leaders to follow his lead by committing troops to any peacekeeping force in Ukraine.

Sir Keir earlier warned Vladimir Putin could ‘come again’ if too many concessions are made in a Ukraine peace deal.

The PM warmly embraced Emmanuel Macron outside the Elysee Palace as European leaders gathered to consider their response to Donald Trump’s bombshell moves.

Earlier, Sir Keir stressed any resolution must be ‘lasting’ and partly guaranteed by US might as he said he is ready to deploy UK troops on the ground.

Sir Keir also made a pointed comparison with the collapse of Afghanistan in 2021 – which Mr Trump branded ‘one of the greatest defeats in American history’ – as he argued Kyiv has to sign off on terms.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived in Saudi Arabia and is expected to meet Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov tomorrow. Volodomyr Zelensky is due in the Middle East state on Wednesday, but insists he knows nothing about the talks.

The US has sparked a frenzy by dismissing the idea that European leaders will have a seat at the table, while Mr Zelensky has been warning that he will not accept a deal done between Washington and Moscow. 

Sir Keir has made clear he is hoping to use the ‘Special Relationship’ to act as a ‘bridge’ with the new White House. No10 has confirmed a visit is happening next week. 

But in an article for the Telegraph he also outlined his pitch to Mr Trump as the potential protector of Western values, cautioning that Ukraine’s future cannot be protected without US security guarantees.

He highlighted the chaos of the Afghanistan withdrawal under Joe Biden, something Mr Trump heavily criticised although he was accused of drawing up the original deal with the Taliban. 

‘President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people have shown the most extraordinary resilience,’ Sir Keir said. 

‘We cannot have a situation like Afghanistan, where the US negotiated directly with the Taliban and cut out the Afghan government. 

‘I feel sure that president Trump will want to avoid this too.’ 

The meeting in Paris called by Mr Macron includes leaders from Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark along with the presidents of the European Council and European Commission and the secretary general of Nato.

However, a former Trump national security official swiped that Europe is ‘throwing a temper tantrum’ about not being included in negotiations. 

And Mr Lavrov trolled that there was no point them being involved as they had previously rejected Russia’s terms. 

Sir Keir is facing huge questions about the UK’s own military capabilities, with defence chiefs demanding he ramps up spending.

On a visit to Bristol this morning, he tried to play down differences with the White House.

‘I think what the US wants to achieve is lasting peace in Ukraine that aligns precisely with what we want in the United Kingdom, what Ukraine wants and what our European allies want,’ Sir Keir said.

‘What we now need to do is to make sure that we work together on a plan that could get us to that point and that’s why it’s really important, I think, to focus first on the immediate questions in Ukraine, but also to look at the wider picture, which is now we are in this generational point, really, where we do need to step up across Europe in terms of our capability, our funding and our commitment to defence.

‘Because this isn’t just about Ukraine, it is about our own national security, and that’s why my message will be we’ve all got to step up across Europe.’

Admitting the stakes were high and the West faces a ‘generational challenge’, Sir Keir said: ‘It’s very important, after three years now of this dreadful conflict, to try to move forward. Of course we could have a resolution tomorrow if Russia, the aggressor, pulled back.

‘But until we get a peace agreement, we must ensure Ukraine is in the strongest possible position. We don’t know what’s going to happen next and we need to have realistic and credible answers to how any ceasefire, how any peace agreement, will be lasting, just and enduring, because the last thing I want to see is a pause in the fighting that simply gives Putin the chance to come again, which is why it’s very important that we have these discussions.

‘I think it’s very important for the UK to be talking, obviously, with our European allies as we do the whole time, and to the US with a special relationship. But I do think there’s a huge amount of overlay in terms of what we’re trying to achieve, which is that lasting peace and dealing with the threat that is there from Russia.’

But Sir Keir seemed to pour cold water on the idea of ramping up defence spending as far as the US – and senior military figures – want.

‘We have to spend more on defence. That’s the reality of the situation we find ourselves in,’ he said.

‘That’s why we made a commitment to 2.5 per cent. We are going through a strategic review of defence at the moment, which is looking at the challenges and the capability, and then we’ll set out that path.

‘Part of my message to our European allies is that we’ve all got to step up on both capability and on spending and funding. Now, that includes the UK, which is why I’ve made that commitment to spend more.’

Amid mounting doubts over how a defence boost could be funded, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said this morning that the manifesto commitment not to hike income tax, national insurance or VAT stood.

That suggests that with growth flagging any extra cash will need to come from spending cuts elsewhere or borrowing. 

In his article, Sir Keir said the UK needs to be ‘ready and willing to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by putting our own troops on the ground if necessary’. 

‘I do not say that lightly,’ he wrote. ‘I feel very deeply the responsibility that comes with potentially putting British servicemen and women in harm’s way. But any role in helping to guarantee security is helping to guarantee the security of our continent, and the security of this country.’

Sir Keir said the crisis was a ‘once in a generation moment’ and an ‘existential’ question for Europe.

No10 would not promise a Commons vote on any deployment of troops, although they did not rule one out. 

Government sources said the ambition is still to spend 2.5 per cent of GDP on the Armed Forces – despite urgent calls to go beyond that figure – and that the timetable for reaching his goal would not be accelerated. 

The PM said the UK was ‘ready to play a leading role‘ in Ukraine’s defence and security, including the commitment of £3billion a year until 2030.

But he said that along with military aid to Ukraine ‘it also means being ready and willing to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by putting our own troops on the ground if necessary’.

‘The end of this war, when it comes, cannot merely become a temporary pause before Putin attacks again,’ he said.

Sir Keir has previously only hinted that British troops could be involved in safeguarding Ukraine after a ceasefire, but in an explicit message aimed at encouraging both European allies and Mr Trump to commit to deterring a future attack he confirmed he could deploy the military.

The premier, who is due to visit Mr Trump in Washington later this month, said: ‘While European nations must step up in this moment – and we will – US support will remain critical and a US security guarantee is essential for a lasting peace, because only the US can deter Putin from attacking again.’

Sir Keir said: ‘We must be clear that peace cannot come at any cost. Ukraine must be at the table in these negotiations, because anything less would accept Putin’s position that Ukraine is not a real nation.’

Sir Keir restated his position that Ukraine’s path to Nato membership is ‘irreversible’ and suggested squeezing Russia’s economy by going further on the oil price cap, targeting the shadow fleet used to transport exports, sanctioning of oil giants and taking action against banks enabling the evasion of sanctions.

The US stance on Ukraine and demands for Europe to do more to pay for and provide its own security increased pressure for greater defence spending across the continent.

But Fred Fleitz, chief of staff of the US national security council during the first Trump administration, told the BBC: ‘I don’t know what the purpose of this summit is.

‘The fact that European leaders are not involved is not an emergency. It seems to be FOMO – fear of missing out.’

‘I think European leaders are simply throwing a temper tantrum that they’re not meeting with Putin today, that they’re not gonna be involved in meetings with Zelensky.’

Sir Keir is still resisting pressure to immediately set out a timetable for the 2.5 per cent target to be reached, following reports it could be after 2030. 

He is not expected to make any announcements on defence spending before he visits Mr Trump at the White House later this month.

Sir Keir said: ‘I am heading to Paris today with a very clear message for our European friends. 

‘We have got to show we are truly serious about our own defence and bearing our own burden.’

But Sir Keir appears unlikely to go beyond his commitment to set out a plan to increase defence spending to a 2.5 per cent share of the economy, despite calls from Mr Trump to hike spending to 5 per cent and Nato chief Mark Rutte’s suggestion allies should spend more than 3 per cent.

The UK currently spends around 2.3 per cent of GDP on defence, making it one of the biggest contributors.

Lord Richard Dannatt, who was chief of the general staff between 2006 and 2009, told BBC Breakfast that putting troops on the ground would ‘come at a considerable cost’.

Lord Dannatt said: ‘My reaction is the Prime Minister is doing the right thing. But, of course, doing the right thing comes at a price.

‘If the Prime Minister is serious about wanting to deploy British troops, put boots on the ground in Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force, he’s got to realise that’s going to come at a considerable cost.’

Lord Dannatt later went on: ‘Frankly, we haven’t got the numbers and we haven’t got the equipment to put a large force onto the ground for an extended period of time at the present moment.

‘Now, if Keir Starmer wants to do that, that’s fine. The British Army will always stand up to the plate, but here we go again. We’ve got to have the right number of people with the right equipment and the right training, and start to fund that now.’

Touring broadcast studios this morning, Mr Streeting said it was ‘certainly not for me to speculate’ on how many troops could be needed.

He said: ‘We don’t dispute that over the course of the last decade Britain’s defence has been run down by our Conservative predecessors.’

Asked if the pressure was on to go beyond 2.5 per cent, he said: ‘Well, as I say, we came into government with a clear commitment to get up to 2.5 per cent and we’re having to do that alongside grappling with a wide range of challenges.

‘That’s why sometimes we’re having to say no when people are going coming along with some very worthy things for investment and saying, ‘I’m sorry, but we can’t afford to do that right now’.’

Sir Keir said: ‘These crucial days ahead will determine the future security of our continent.

‘As I will say in Paris later today: Peace comes through strength. But the reverse is also true. Weakness leads to war.

‘This is the moment for us all to step up – and the UK will do so, because it is the right thing to do for the values and freedoms we hold dear, and because it is fundamental to our own national security.’

Speaking on Sunday, Mr Trump said ‘we’re moving along, we’re trying to get a peace with Russia and Ukraine and we’re working very hard on it’ and he promised that Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky ‘will be involved’.

The US President has said Nato members should spend as much as 5 per cent on defence, while Nato plans to increase its benchmark from 2 per cent to above 3 per cent.

A government source said: ‘Labour stated in its manifesto a commitment to set a path to 2.5 per cent and that remains the policy of the Government.’

Asked if the announcement of the roadmap will now be sped up, the insider said: ‘We’ll do the Strategic Defence Review then set it out.’

The ‘roadmap’ to 2.5 per cent and the review, assessing the threats facing the UK, are not expected until the spring.

It came as former Tory PM Sir John Major warned the world would be ‘rather more dangerous’ if the US does not support its allies. And he said ‘tin-pot dictators’ would be emboldened if Mr Trump rushes into a peace deal that gives Putin control of Ukrainian territory.

Former Labour security minister and head of the Navy Lord West told the Mail the Government would be making ‘yet another major political error’ as well as ‘betraying the British people’ if it fails to increase defence spending immediately.

He said: ‘I just think it’s a terrible error. If one looks at the state of the world and the state of our Armed Forces, it’s quite clear we need to increase defence spending.

‘I don’t think it will go down well with Trump or Europe.’

Last night Tory defence spokesman James Cartlidge said there was no excuse for the PM not to act after dire warnings at the Munich Security Conference.

‘It is critical that we get confirmation of a sustained spending increase as soon as possible, so that we can commence the critical task of rearmament that should have started months ago,’ he said. 

A government source dismissed reports Sir Keir was going to overrule his Chancellor and increase defence spending beyond the existing target and added: ‘The policy is still to set a path to 2.5 per cent.’

The Mail on Sunday told how the former head of the Army has warned Sir Keir will be ‘consigned to the bin of history’ if he does not significantly increase defence spending.

Lord Dannatt said: ‘Unless Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves can find ways of producing more money, well beyond 2.5 per cent towards 3 per cent or 3.5 per cent for starters, then this Strategic Defence Review is going to be hollow, it’s going to be a failure and, frankly, it’ll consign Keir Starmer to the bin of history.’

The PM held one-to-one meetings on Friday with Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, as well as the heads of the Army, RAF and Royal Navy.

The Sunday Times said the service chiefs want spending to reach 2.65 per cent of GDP but government sources insisted no formal request has been made.

Asked yesterday by the BBC if the UK needed to go even further than 2.5 per cent, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds pointed out that the current figure of 2.3 per cent of GDP does not include spending on the intelligence services.

Latest figures show the UK spent £54 billion on defence last year and another £4.4 billion on the security services.

Defence Secretary John Healey believes how the money is spent is also important and will set out details of his reform agenda in a major speech this week.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: ‘Our Budget increased defence spending by £2.9 billion for next year and we are committed to setting a path to 2.5 per cent.’