Britain is ready to send troops to help defend Ukraine’s skies and ports but will not deploy them to the front line near Russia, the head of the armed forces will tell the US today.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, chief of the defence staff, is taking part in NATO talks as military leaders from across the alliance gather to discuss what support can be offered to Kyiv.
Thirty chiefs of staff are involved in the discussions, which are expected to shape what a future security deal for Ukraine could look like.
Although Radakin is set to make clear that the UK will commit troops for logistical help and training, he will insist that he will not place British forces directly in harm’s way.
The focus will be on protecting Ukrainian airspace and ports rather than risking combat with Russian soldiers. Britain has not been involved in a major combat operation since the Afghanistan war ended in 2014. More recent missions have focused on training, protection and peacekeeping.
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Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin launched new savage attacks on Ukrainians overnight, casting doubts on his commitment to seek a peace deal.
The terror strike was on Okhtyrka, some 28 miles from the border, where 13 homes were hit.
Earlier, it was believed that as many as 30,000 troops had been talked about, but that number has been scaled back following concerns in Europe.
According to The Guardian, one official aware said: ‘Wednesday is an important moment.
‘Nothing happens in Washington without the president giving the green light, so Trump giving his support to security guarantees on Monday kickstarted a lot of activity.’
The meeting today comes at a critical point where NATO chiefs are working out what security guarantees can be put in place for Ukraine, a step many in Europe see as vital to making any peace deal with Moscow possible.
US president Donald Trump already signalled his backing during his meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders on Monday.
However, he has also said there will be no American troops involved in active combat in war-weary Ukraine. In the Odesa region, Russian strikes hit a Triton oil depot and port infrastructure in Izmail.
A fire train was battling to extinguish the blaze after involving ballistic missiles and Shahed drones.
In the Kherson region, the Russians wounded a woman pensioner,70, in an artillery strike on Bilozerka village.
In the Odesa region, Russian strikes hit a Triton oil depot and port infrastructure in Izmail.
A fire train was battling to extinguish the blaze after involving ballistic missiles and Shahed drones.
In the Kherson region, the Russians wounded a woman pensioner,70, in an artillery strike on Bilozerka village.
The recent attacks on Ukraine, which officials say were ‘directed against the civilian population’, will underscore the importance of security guarantees for the country.
The strikes come after many critics have been left wondering what the security guarantees may be. Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, indicated that it may be based on the principle of Article 5, where an attack on one ally must be seen as an attack on all.
Downing Street confirmed that Starmer hosted a call with more than 30 world leaders on Tuesday morning to update them on what had been discussed in Washington.
Britain is expected to use today’s session to underline to Washington what it is willing to do if a peace deal is signed.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters on Tuesday that he expected agreements to be ready soon, saying he believed they would be finalised in the next ‘week or 10 days.’
Despite the optimism, there is growing doubt over how Moscow will respond – Vladimir Putin has long made it clear that he sees NATO’s expansion into Ukraine as a direct threat.
Russia has repeatedly warned that it does not want Ukraine to ever join the alliance, calling such a move unacceptable.
Some European analysts believe Putin is unlikely to accept even a limited NATO deployment inside Ukraine, and that the ideas of security guarantees is just a way of putting him under more pressure.
Hours ahead of their meeting on Monday, Trump told Zelensky that there would be ‘no going into NATO by Ukraine’ as part of a deal for peace.
Trump’s views are in direct opposition to his European counterparts – many have championed Ukraine’s admittance into the organisation.
