The United Kingdom is prepared to deploy Typhoon fighter jets to patrol Ukrainian airspace as part of a peacekeeping effort. The proposal aims to provide security assistance to Ukraine without committing a significant number of ground troops.
On Tuesday, the United States and Russia held hours-long discussions regarding a possible resolution to the war in Ukraine, though no European nations were present. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dismissed the idea of a European-led peacekeeping force, stating, “The appearance of troops from NATO countries … under a foreign flag, the flag of the European Union or the national flag, is unacceptable.”
According to The Times, a senior UK military source suggested that Russia’s position on European involvement was only its stance after “round one” of discussions. British officials have explored options for assisting Ukraine’s security, with one senior government source indicating that an “air policing mission” could be a viable approach. However, such an operation would require a significant number of aircraft and air defense systems. European leaders have also expressed concerns over whether they could deploy enough troops to patrol Ukraine’s 700-mile border with Russia effectively.
The US-Russia meeting in Saudi Arabia was reportedly the first formal sit-down meeting between the two nations since World War II, according to The Times. Ukrainian and European representatives were notably absent, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said his country would reject any agreement reached without its direct involvement. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reassured European allies that they would be included in future discussions, stating that any peace deal must be acceptable to all parties. Rubio also noted that Russia appeared “willing to begin to engage in a serious process to determine how quickly and through what mechanism can an end be brought to this war.”
Reports also indicate that both sides have provisionally agreed elections should be held in Ukraine before a peace deal is finalized. Zelenskyy has faced scrutiny for suspending elections in his country, with President Donald Trump even referring to him as a “dictator” in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday.
Trump has also stated in a press conference that he would not be opposed to European troops participating in a peacekeeping mission, saying, “If they want to do that, that’d be fine.”
Zelenskyy has argued that Europe cannot guarantee Ukraine’s security without US support, citing a lack of sufficient military personnel to pose a significant threat. He estimated that 110,000 foreign troops would be necessary, while a Washington Post report suggested that the European Union is considering a force of approximately 25,000 to 30,000 troops as part of a ceasefire agreement. A potential UK-led air policing mission could be modeled after NATO’s operations in the Baltic states.
