UK peace force for Ukraine would cost ‘well over £100m’, says defence secretary | Military
Defense Minister John Healey, after his speech in London, said that the cost of Britain’s contribution to the post-truce stabilization force in Ukraine will be “well over £100 million”.
Healey said that if the peace talks lead to a ceasefire, the “multinational power Ukraine”, led by Britain and France, has already spent millions of dollars to be ready to take action quickly.
“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 make our forces ready to deploy,” Healey said in response to a question.
“I have already stepped up millions of pounds in preparations for any possible deployment in the event of peace. And I expect this to cost well over £100 million,” the minister added.
While there are doubts about whether Vladimir Putin is serious about ending the full-scale war that has raged for nearly four years, the prospect of a summit between the Russian leader and the US president in Budapest within the next few weeks has raised the prospect of an end to the conflict.
The multinational force includes 30 countries that are expected to contribute to the peacekeeping force if Russia and Ukraine agree on a ceasefire. While it would initially be commanded by a French general, a year later the position and headquarters would be transferred to the United Kingdom.
Its main components will be a NATO-style air policing operation to secure the country’s airspace and a maritime security force to support the existing mine-clearing Black Sea naval force of Türkiye, Romania and Bulgaria.
But although Healey said Starmer was committed to “putting Britain on the ground”, the Ukrainian military will be limited to ground forces logistics, weapons and training experts to help defend the country from future attacks.
In his speech at Mansion House, Healey said the force would “secure the skies and seas and train Ukrainian forces to defend their nation”.
Earlier Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would be ready to attend Putin and Trump’s summit in Hungary if invited.
On Sunday, Trump said the best way to end the war would be to “dismantle” the Donetsk region, where the most intense fighting is taking place on the fronts. He also pressured Zelenskyy to give up some of his country’s territory in exchange for a deal.
