The cost of Britain’s contribution to a post-ceasefire stabilisation force for Ukraine would be “well over £100m”, the defence secretary, John Healey, has said after a speech in the City of London.
Healey said he had already brought forward millions in spending so that a “multinational force Ukraine” led by the UK and France could be ready to deploy quickly if peace talks produce a ceasefire.
“Peace is possible, and if President Trump can broker a peace, then we will be ready to help secure that peace for the long term. That requires us to invest and prepare our forces to be ready to deploy,” Healey said in response to a question.
“I’ve accelerated already millions of pounds in that preparation for any possible deployment in the event of peace. And I would expect the cost of that to be well over £100m,” the minister added.
Though there is scepticism about whether Vladimir Putin is serious about ending the near-four-year full-scale war, the prospect of a summit in Budapest between the Russian leader and the US president in the next few weeks has raised the possibility that an end to the fighting could emerge.
The multinational force involves 30 countries who will be expected to contribute to a peacekeeping force if Russia and Ukraine can agree a ceasefire. It would initially be led by a French general, before the position and the headquarters rotated to the UK a year later.
Its principal components will be a Nato-style air policing operation to secure the country’s airspace and a maritime security force to support an existing mine-clearing Black Sea naval force of Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria.
But although Healey said that Starmer had committed to “UK boots on the ground”, land forces will be limited to logistics, armament and training specialists to help Ukraine’s army protect the country from future attack.
The force would “secure the skies and seas, and train Ukrainian forces to defend their nation”, Healey said in a speech at the Mansion House.
Earlier on Monday the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said he would be ready to join Putin and Trump at their summit in Hungary if he is invited.
On Sunday, Trump said the best solution to end the war would be to “cut up” the Donetsk region that is the scene of the heaviest fighting on the frontlines. He also pressured Zelenskyy to give up some of his country’s territory for a deal.
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