British forces should help defend Ukrainian border against Russia in any ceasefire, Boris Johnson says
29 November 2024, 08:34
Boris Johnson has said that British forces should help keep Ukraine safe in the event of a ceasefire with Russia.
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Mr Johnson said that if a truce did take place, the British military should be involved in wider European peacekeeping efforts on the border between the two countries.
The former Prime Minister, a longtime advocate for Ukraine in its war against the Russian invasion, said that he did not think Britain should send in troops to fight Russia. The British government has long maintained there is no prospect of direct military involvement in the war.
Mr Johnson also suggested that Ukraine should be asked to join NATO if there were a peace deal.
It comes as the world prepares for Donald Trump to take office as US president in January. Mr Trump has said he will end the war in Ukraine.
Mr Johnson told the Telegraph: "I don't think we should be sending in combat troops to take on the Russians.
"But I think as part of the solution, as part of the end state, you're going to want to have multinational European peace-keeping forces monitoring the border [and] helping the Ukrainians.
"I cannot see that such a European operation could possibly happen without the British."
Mr Johnson said that in the event of a ceasefire Ukraine should be told what security guarantees its military allies can offer it.
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He suggested one option would be to invite Ukraine to join NATO. That would mean if the Kremlin launched another attack, the US, the UK and other members of the alliance would be obliged to help directly with the defence of Ukraine.
Mr Johnson said: “We need to be spelling out what kind of security guarantees we think are appropriate.
The only thing that really works is a Nato Article 5 guarantee that has kept the peace in Europe for 80 years.
“It’s the reason the Baltic states are in Nato. It’s the reason that the Poles, Hungarians, Czechs, Finns and the Swedes are now in Nato.”
Former defence secretary reacts to UK being 'directly involved' in Ukraine war
Mr Johnson's comments came less than a day after Sir Keir Starmer spoke to Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy as his country's power grid faces bombardment by Russian forces.
Russia's renewed attack on Ukraine's power grid, the second in less than two weeks, has added to fears the Kremlin is hoping to cripple its foe's power generation ahead of winter.
One million homes have lost power in the war-torn nation, according to Ukrainian officials.
Russia's renewed attack on Ukraine's power grid, the second in less than two weeks, has added to fears the Kremlin is hoping to cripple its foe's power generation ahead of winter.
One million homes have lost power in the war-torn nation, according to Ukrainian officials.
Downing Street described the Russian strikes as "egregious", adding that the Prime Minister characterised them as "systematic" and "depraved" when speaking to Mr Zelensky.
Amid the attacks, Mr Zelensky "expressed gratitude for the UK's unwavering support, including the commitment to provide at least £3 billion annually for Ukraine's needs" in his call with the Prime Minister.
In a fresh signal that British Storm Shadow missiles are likely being used by Kyiv, the Ukrainian president added: "We discussed advancing our defence cooperation and strengthening Ukraine's long-range capabilities."
UK authorities will not be drawn into confirming it has permitted Ukraine to use the weapons to strike targets inside Russia.
No 10 would only say that "both leaders underlined the importance of putting Ukraine in the best possible position ahead of another challenging winter of conflict".
