𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Sir Keir Starmer’s plans to send a European peacekeeping force into Ukraine have been thrown into chaos as Germany is likely to reject such plans, according to reports.

European leaders are attending emergency meetings in Paris today, where they will discuss the nearly three-year-long war and the continent’s security.

Starmer confirmed he is ready to deploy a British peacekeeping force in Ukraine alongside France if there is a deal to end the illegal war of aggression launched by Russia against Ukraine.

In an article published in The Daily Telegraph on Sunday, Starmer wrote that he was “ready and willing to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by putting our own troops on the ground if necessary.”

However, Germany and Poland are more likely to not participate. Other countries, including Italy and Norway, are so far undecided which potentially throw the plans into disarray.

A diplomatic source told The Telegraph: “The whole discussion is moot without both Germany and Poland’s participation.”

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky praised Starmer’s announcement, telling an online news conference today that it was an “important” start to European deliberations on mustering a peacekeeping force.

This comes after Zelensky said he would not recognise a peace deal drafted without Ukraine as European leaders gather in Paris for emergency talks.

Around 3pm this afternoon, President Emmanuel Macron greeted Starmer and shook his hand as he arrived in Paris.

Mark Rutte, the secretary-general of Nato followed Sir Keir into the building shortly afterwards, the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen with Macron have also been pictured arriving.

The gathering in Paris comes as US secretary of state Marco Rubio is leading a delegation to Saudi Arabia for talks with Russian officials that will look to seek an end to the fighting.

Ukraine has not been invited to the talks and will not accept the outcome if Kyiv is not involved, said Zelensky earlier.

He said: “Ukraine will not take part. Ukraine did not know anything about it. Ukraine regards any negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine as ones that have no result, and we cannot recognise … any agreements about us without us.”