Brian Berletic:

• UK Following US’ Ukraine Plan, Not Undermining it…
• While UK PM Keir Starmer appears to be undermining US President Trump’s “peace” negotiations, his preparations to place European troops into Ukraine is simply the UK obeying a US directive provided February 12 by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth; 
• Secretary Hegseth called for “European and non-European troops” to be “deployed as part of a non-NATO mission,” and “not covered under Article 5;”
• This entire US-European attempt to impose “Minsk 3” conditions on Russia was laid out in great detail by Secretary Hegseth in February and every aspect of his directive has since taken shape;

Opening Remarks by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at Ukraine Defense Contact Group (As Delivered)

UK’s Starmer says ‘troops on the ground and planes in the sky’ could secure Ukraine peace deal

Related:

Zelenskiy presses allies for security guarantees, foreign troops in Ukraine

March 15 (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday he had urged Kyiv’s Western allies to give “a clear position” on security guarantees including about a potential foreign troop contingent on Ukrainian soil with a U.S. backstop.

His comments came after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a virtual call with other European leaders and allies, including Zelenskiy, where Starmer said a “coalition of the willing” would help secure Ukraine “on the land, at sea and in the sky” in the event of a peace deal with Russia.

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Starmer has also called for a U.S. security backstop to help secure a lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine in the three-year-old war.

Jets, intelligence or troops: What could a US security backstop in Ukraine look like?

If the US were to provide a backstop to European troops on the ground in Ukraine, it’s unlikely it would be in the form of troops on the ground.

Former four-star US Air Force general Philip Breedlove says it would instead be a matter of supporting with intelligence and providing air support. Speaking to BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme, he said the US needs to “correct” the idea that it is telling Europe “if you get into a dust-up with Russia, we’re not gonna be there.”

“But the United States can still provide a backstop by first supplying all of that great intelligence that we have given Ukraine in the past we need to give them into the future.

“And we have airpower that could be that backstop,” he added. “Basically, if Mr Putin tries to run over Nato troops, the United States could be that backstop via airpower.”