British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that the UK and France are ready to lead a “coalition of the willing” to provide military support to Ukraine, including the deployment of troops and aircraft, aiming to secure Kiev’s positions once a peace deal with Moscow has been reached.

During an emergency summit in London on Sunday, following Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s disastrous trip to Washington, Starmer emphasized the necessity for the EU and other sponsors to step up and take a leading role in supporting Kiev. While acknowledging that some nations have little to contribute, he insisted that those willing should act with urgency.

“Not every nation will feel able to contribute, but that can’t mean that we sit back. Instead, those willing will intensify planning now with real urgency. The UK is prepared to back this with boots on the ground and planes in the air, together with others,” Starmer told the press.

French President Emmanuel Macron stated that European troops would only be deployed once the situation on the ground is safe for them. He proposed a temporary month-long “truce in the air, on the seas, and on energy infrastructure” – an idea that Moscow had previously denounced as a Western ploy to rearm and bolster Kiev.