Britain may deploy at least 10,000 troops to Ukraine — The Times

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has proposed a plan to deploy a "Western peacekeeping force" of more than 10,000 troops in Ukraine during a virtual meeting of the "coalition of the willing" on Saturday, March 15. However, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni denied that Italy would participate in any peacekeeping missions in Ukraine.

Rubryka reports according to The Times, citing senior officials and ANSA. Starmer's proposal received "significantly greater support" than from the three countries that initially expressed willingness to send troops. The majority of the force is expected to consist of soldiers from the United Kingdom and France.

A military source indicated that the final number of Western troops will exceed 10,000. Additionally, about 35 countries have agreed to provide:

• Weapons
• Logistics
• Intelligence support

"It will be a significant force with a significant number of countries providing troops and a much larger group contributing in other ways," another source told The Times.

The proposed peacekeeping mission is intended to act as a deterrent against future aggression from Russian President Vladimir Putin in the event of a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni emphasized that Italy will not deploy troops as part of a potential peacekeeping mission in Ukraine. She made this statement on Saturday during a virtual meeting of the "coalition of the willing," organized by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

"No national participation in potential military forces on the ground is planned," Meloni said during the meeting on Ukraine.

However, she stressed that Italy remains committed to working with European and Western partners, including the United States, to establish reliable and effective security guarantees for Ukraine.

According to the report, Meloni spoke with Starmer by phone before participating in the coalition meeting.

Following the virtual meeting, Starmer announced that approximately 25 allied leaders had agreed to further tighten restrictions on the Russian economy. The goal is to increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin and push him toward negotiations to end the war against Ukraine.

What is known about the "Coalition of the Willing"

On March 2, international leaders gathered in London for a summit attended by more than 10 heads of state, along with EU and NATO leadership. Following the meeting, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that "a number of countries" had expressed interest in joining a plan to secure peace in Ukraine, referring to the initiative as a "coalition of the willing."

Currently, French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Starmer are negotiating with 37 countries to establish this coalition, which would deploy peacekeeping forces in Ukraine if a peaceful settlement is reached.

According to Bloomberg, military leaders are expected to present detailed options for peacekeeping operations to Starmer and Macron in the coming days. These plans will be discussed with other world leaders during a virtual meeting this weekend.

The proposals will later be presented to US President Donald Trump, who is expected to be urged to offer U.S. security guarantees—such as air power, intelligence, and border surveillance—without committing American ground forces to the peacekeeping effort.

The report also indicates that Britain and France oppose US concessions to Russian President Vladimir Putin's demands to demilitarize Ukraine or pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to hold elections before reaching a permanent peace agreement.

Additionally, Starmer emphasized that Russia's abduction of Ukrainian children must be addressed as part of any future peace settlement.