Keir Starmer has warned Vladimir Putin that Russia will face “severe consequences” if it breaches any peace agreement with Ukraine, as military planners from more than 30 countries begin outlining how the deal might be enforced. The Prime Minister spoke after hosting officials at the Northwood military base near London, where discussions have started on which Western forces could be deployed to support Ukraine in the future.
Speaking to reporters, Starmer said the security arrangements were designed to make clear to Russia that there would be a price for violating the terms. He stressed that any plan would require a US component, arguing that this was necessary to convince Putin of the seriousness of the commitment. The Prime Minister said allied forces would be used to reinforce Ukrainian troops rather than replace them, offering support by air, sea and land.
Starmer praised the strength of Ukraine’s armed forces, noting that they now had significant capability, numbers and frontline experience after three years of conflict. He said the planning was not about substituting for that capability but about reinforcing it with additional support. A Downing Street source said his comments reflected the move to an operational phase.
Officials from France, Poland, the Netherlands, Romania, Canada and Australia took part in the meeting, alongside representatives from the United States and Italy. The Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, has previously described such plans as “risky and ineffective”, while the White House has not committed to backing Western forces in Ukraine.
The talks came as negotiations between the US, Ukraine and Russia are expected to resume in Saudi Arabia on Sunday. The three countries are due to discuss implementing a 30-day pause on strikes against energy infrastructure, as part of efforts to reach a more comprehensive agreement. Starmer acknowledged that it was not yet known whether a deal would be reached, saying the likelihood was a ceasefire, followed possibly by a full settlement.
Starmer rejected Putin’s demand that Ukraine be demilitarised and that the West stop providing military aid, saying the Russian president wanted a defenceless Ukraine. He argued that Ukraine must be free to determine its own defence capabilities, and drew attention to the Minsk agreement of 2014, which he said had been breached by Russia. He concluded that this underlined the need for robust security arrangements to be in place.
