A high-level virtual summit in London was held, where UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer presented plans to send 10,000 peacekeeping troops to Ukraine. However, due to concerns about the risks and inadequacy of forces, the UK has revised its approach. Instead of deploying troops near the front lines, they will send military trainers to western Ukraine, focusing on rebuilding and equipping Ukraine’s military.
The trainers will reassume their roles by being present in Ukraine but not engaging in direct defense roles. This decision was made after a senior government source expressed concerns that any breakdown in a ceasefire could escalate into a broader conflict.
Operation Interflex, the UK’s domestic training mission for Ukrainian troops, is expected to wind down by the end of the year, with operations relocating to a base near Lviv. However, Ukrainian officials remain cautious, recalling how Western trainers withdrew just before Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
European and British officials are working behind the scenes to advance peace talks, hoping to arrange a meeting between President Donald Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky in Rome following the Pope’s funeral. They hope to move their position but want Moscow to break their red lines.
The push comes amid growing fears that US support could waver if Ukraine refuses to make concessions, particularly as Trump maintains a tougher stance on Zelensky than on Putin, according to British officials.
Ukraine remains under pressure to respond to a broader US peace plan first presented in Paris on April 17. The plan includes US recognition of Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and a ban on Ukraine joining NATO – two long-standing Kremlin demands.
Despite the revised strategy, the UK insists it remains committed to Ukraine’s defense, according to the Times. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense responded to reports of the plan change by saying, “This is speculation. Advanced operational planning within the coalition of the willing remains ongoing for options across land, sea and air, and to regenerate the Ukrainian armed forces.”
