Trump to speak with Putin tomorrow as Starmer says 30 countries will sign up to peacekeeping plan
17 March 2025, 14:34
More than 30 countries will sign up to Britain’s “coalition of the willing”, Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesperson has said, as Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin prepare for ceasefire talks on Tuesday.
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Trump to speak to Putin as Ukraine peacekeeping plans progress
The Downing Street spokesperson said a "significant number" of countries have agreed to send troops to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force, which will help protect the country once its conflict with Russia has ended.
“The contribution capabilities will vary, but this will be a significant force, with a significant number of countries providing troops,” Sir Keir’s spokesperson said.
European NATO members are expected to play a key role in a peacekeeping coalition, after US President Trump said Europe should take the lead.
Up to 30,000 troops from several nations could be deployed as part of a long-term peacekeeping force, the Times has reported.
Military leaders will reportedly meet on Thursday to discuss the next "operational phase" of the plan, dubbed the “coalition of the willing”
Read more: Trump to hold talks with Putin on Tuesday as White House pushes for end to Ukraine war
It comes as the US President and the Russian leader prepare to speak alk on Tuesday as they explore options to ending the war.
“We will see if we have something to announce maybe by Tuesday. I will be speaking to President Putin on Tuesday.
“A lot of work’s been done over the weekend. We want to see if we can bring that war to an end,” Mr Trump told reporters on Air Force One. He said territory and infrastructure would form the basis of his talks with Putin."
We will be talking about land. We will be talking about power plants," adding that the discussions would focus on "dividing up certain assets."
Ukraine agreed to a US proposal to a 30-day ceasefire last week, pending approval from Russia.
The Kremlin has so far rejected calls for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, with Sir Keir accusing Putin of “delaying” peace.
The British Prime Minister held a virtual meeting on Saturday with the leaders of 26 other nations, plus representatives from the EU and Nato.
Sir Keir said following the meeting: “We won’t sit back and wait for Putin to act, instead we will keep pushing forward".
Sir Keir said that the coalition will put pressure on Russia and "weaken their war machine" if Putin rejects a peace deal.
"President Zelenskyy has shown once again and without any doubt that Ukraine is the party of peace... but Putin is trying to delay, saying there must be a painstaking study before a ceasefire can take place."
