Starmer says MPs to get vote on deploying UK peacekeeping troops to Ukraine

MPs will get a vote in the House of Commons before the UK deploys peacekeeping troops on the ground in Ukraine, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

But the prime minister would not be drawn on the number of service people the UK could send to defend the country, in the event of a ceasefire in its war with Russia.

Neither would No 10 guarantee that the vote would be binding. Asked if MPs could prevent a deployment, the PM’s official spokesperson said: “I think we are getting ahead of ourselves.”

On Tuesday, Britain and France signed a historic agreement committing to boots on the ground as soon as any peace deal is in place.

Sir Keir told MPs on Wednesday that, were troops to be deployed under the declaration signed alongside French president Emmanuel Macron and Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, “I would put that matter to the House for a vote”.

It comes after the plans were called into question by a former armed forces chief who said any peacekeeping force would require “serious numbers” of troops to face down Russia.

Sir Richard Shirreff, who served as Nato’s deputy supreme allied commander in Europe between 2011 and 2014, said allied forces would need to “overmatch” Russia to ensure they could fight back if Vladimir Putin’s country broke a ceasefire agreement.

The document, signed at a summit in Paris, has been hailed as “a significant step forward” in bringing about the coalition of the willing to guarantee peace in the war-torn country. German chancellor Friedrich Merz also suggested his country could soon sign up to sending troops to Ukraine to support peacekeeping efforts.

The agreement was made possible by the US presence at the summit, with Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, confirming that the president “strongly, strongly, strongly” supports the security guarantees and would provide the backup to make it work.

But the apparent breakthrough on Ukraine comes as European countries scramble to react to Mr Trump laying claim to Greenland, the sovereign territory of EU Nato ally Denmark.

At Prime Minister’s Questions, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said it was “astonishing” Sir Keir was not making a statement in Parliament on the Ukraine agreement with France.

Ms Badenoch said the decision showed a “fundamental lack of respect” for MPs and their constituents.

To shouts of “when” from Conservative MPs, Sir Keir responded: “There will be a statement to the House at the earliest opportunity."

He added: “If there were a decision to deploy, under the agreement that was signed yesterday, then I would put that matter to this House for a debate beforehand and for a vote on that deployment. That is consistent with recent practice and I'll adhere to that.”

Pressed by Ms Badenoch on how many UK troops could be sent and whether they would have a combat role, the prime minister said that any deployment would only be after a ceasefire and would be to support Ukraine’s armed forces and construct and protect military hubs.

“The number will be determined in accordance with our military plans, which we are drawing up and looking to other members to support. So the number I will put before the House before we were to deploy,” he said.

No 10 later refused to say how many troops the UK could deploy to Ukraine. The PM’s official spokesperson said he would not “get into potential force structures. The only person that benefits is Putin”.

Asked if the PM was satisfied the British Army could deploy thousands of troops, he replied: “Of course. We have complete confidence in the British Armed Forces.”

It is understood that a number of countries, as well as Germany, have indicated that they are considering joining France and Britain.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has said he would vote against sending troops to Ukraine.

“It would be a very interesting vote. I would vote against,” he told Times Radio, adding: “We neither have the manpower nor the equipment to go into an operation that clearly has no ending timeline.”