Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has proposed deploying British troops as part of a European peacekeeping mission to secure Ukraine’s border under any future ceasefire with Russia.
Speaking ahead of a potential shift in U.S. policy under an anticipated Donald Trump administration, Johnson stressed the importance of ensuring a robust and lasting resolution to the ongoing conflict.
“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.”
Boris Johnson
Johnson emphasized that any effective European-led peacekeeping effort would require the involvement of British troops. “I cannot see that such a European operation could possibly happen without the British,” he stated.
The former PM also urged Western nations to define clear security guarantees to prevent Russia from rearming and reigniting hostilities.
NATO’s Role and Security Guarantees
Johnson highlighted the critical role NATO has played in maintaining European security for decades. “The only thing that really works is a NATO Article 5 guarantee that has kept the peace in Europe for 80 years,” he said.
NATO’s Article 5 states that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all, a cornerstone of the alliance’s collective defense policy. Johnson argued that a similar guarantee would be vital to securing a lasting peace in Ukraine.
“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,” he added, reiterating his belief that Ukraine’s ultimate security lies in full NATO membership.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy echoed this sentiment, asserting that Ukraine is on an “irreversible pathway” to joining the alliance once the war concludes. However, some NATO members remain hesitant about granting immediate membership, wary of the escalatory risks during active conflict.
Russia’s Response and Threats
Johnson’s comments came as Russian President Vladimir Putin signaled his openness to dialogue with the incoming U.S. president, describing him as “intelligent” and capable of finding a resolution to the war.
However, on Thursday, Putin issued a stark warning, threatening to target Kyiv with Russia’s new ballistic missile, the Oreshnik. The weapon, described by Putin as “comparable to a nuclear weapon in terms of its destructive power,” marks an escalation in Moscow’s rhetoric amid ongoing tensions.
Johnson’s intervention reflects growing concerns among Western leaders about the need for a durable peace framework. He underscored the human toll of the conflict, calling the last three years of war “abominable cruelty and carnage.“
As such, as the prospect of peace talks looms, the debate over Ukraine’s future security arrangements and NATO membership continues to take center stage. Johnson’s proposal to include British troops in any ceasefire peacekeeping mission highlights the broader challenges of ensuring stability in the region.
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