Keir Starmer’s plan to create a “coalition of the willing” to protect Ukraine has been written off as a “bluff” by a Russian official.
The UK prime minister has claimed that more than 30 countries want to join the informal alliance to deter any future aggression from Vladimir Putin.
Starmer’s spokesperson said a “significant number” also want to send troops to Ukraine if a peace deal is struck.
But the PM has made it clear that this plan can only go ahead if the US offers its own security guarantee to Europe – which the White House has refused to do.
Donald Trump is set to hold talks with Putin on Tuesday as he tries to persuade Russian president to back a 30-day ceasefire in the war.
While the Kremlin claims to be ready for peace, it has already ruled out having any troops from Europe – or Nato members – on the ground in Ukraine.
Now it has emerged that the chairman of the Russian Civic Chamber commission – a civil society institution created by Putin – told Russian state news agency TASS that Starmer’s whole idea is a “bluff”.
Vladimir Rogov said: “The statement about the operational details of introducing occupation troops into the post-Ukrainian space from the lips of Keir Starmer is essentially a bluff, because he immediately stipulates that this is possible only with the support of the United States.”
He continued: “I am convinced that the appearance of British, German, French and other foreign troops will make them a priority target for our army, since they cannot have any legal mandate to operate in this territory.
“The position that [Ukrainian president Volodymyr] Zelenskyy can give such permission in the context of a seizure of power does not stand up to criticism.”
Russia (and Trump) have falsely claimed that Zelenskyy is not democratically elected, after Ukraine’s war-induced martial law meant its 2024 presidential election was postponed.
Meanwhile, Putin has just won his fifth term in office in an election many in the West believe was rigged.
Rogov also told TASS that introducing third country contingents into Ukraine would be illegal and not in the interests of security.
Ahead of Trump’s talks with Putin, Russia has repeatedly claimed to be open to peace with Ukraine.
But, it says it will only agree to end the war if the “root causes” of the conflict are addressed – overlooking that the war began because Putin ordered an invasion in 2022.
Alexander Grushko, the country’s deputy foreign minister, also ruled out letting any of soldiers from Ukraine’s allies be deployed to the frontline.
He said: “We absolutely do not care under what label Nato contingents may be deployed on the territory of Ukraine: be it the European Union, Nato or in a national capacity.
“In any case, if they appear there, it means that they are deployed in a conflict zone with all the consequences for these contingents as a party to the conflict.”
Chatham House’s Keir Giles, however, has called for Starmer’s coalition to go into Ukraine now, even without Trump’s backing, to truly stop any further land grabs from Putin.
