Politics Home Article | Keir Starmer Says MPs Will Get To Vote On Sending Troops To Ukraine

World leaders signed the ‘Paris Declaration’ on Tuesday to commit to the deployment of forces to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal (Alamy)

2 min read07 January

The UK will send military personnel to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal as part of an agreement reached by world leaders in Paris on Tuesday.

Starmer announced the commitment alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a press conference last night.

They were joined by Trump administration representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who said the US would be willing to defend Ukraine militarily in the event of a Russian breach of peace.

The arrangement, referred to as the ‘Paris Declaration’, is designed to deter Russia from attacking Ukraine following the signing of a peace agreement.

Speaking in Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, the PM confirmed that there would be a debate and vote in Parliament before British troops are sent to Ukraine to defend a peace deal.

“If there was a decision to deploy under the agreement that was signed yesterday, I would put that matter to this House and for a debate beforehand, and for a vote on that deployment,” he told MPs.

“That is consistent with recent practice, and I’ll adhere to that.”

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticised Starmer for not giving a full statement to the House of Commons on sending troops to Ukraine, saying that this showed a “fundamental lack of respect” to Parliament.

House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle said he would like to see a statement as soon as possible.

Starmer responded that “there will be a statement to the House at the earliest opportunity”.

The PM did not set out how many British troops would be sent to Ukraine as part of the agreement when pushed by Badenoch, telling MPs that he would set out further details about the UK military commitment once a peace deal is reached. 

Despite the progress made by Europe and the US on security guarantees for Ukraine, there is severe doubt over whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will agree to end the conflict.

Starmer said last night in Paris: “For all Russia’s words, Putin is not showing that he is ready for peace.

“Over the last few weeks, we have seen the opposite: further horrific strikes on Ukraine, killing and wounding civilians, and cutting off power from millions of people in the dead of winter. His forces hit a hospital in Kyiv just yesterday.”