Military leaders from across the globe will convene next week to discuss the “operational phase” of safeguarding Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping mission, as announced by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. The PM held a virtual meeting with the “coalition of the willing” on Saturday, which included representatives from 26 countries, alongside Ukraine, plus the EU and NATO, to explore ways to end the conflict in Ukraine. After the 90-minute meeting, Starmer revealed that military chiefs from Western nations would gather on Thursday to transition “into an operational phase.” He stated that they would formulate plans to secure Ukraine on land, sea, and in the air, provided a peace agreement is reached with Russia. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously accepted a proposition for a 30-day ceasefire, with Russia agreeing to halt fighting, though President Vladimir Putin indicated there are numerous questions regarding the proposals. Notably, US President Donald Trump was absent from the call, but Starmer emphasized the necessity of US support for any peace deal. The PM confirmed that the UK is in daily communication with the US and that there is a collective determination to cease the war among the allied countries, which are now coordinated both politically and militarily. Starmer specified that Thursday’s meeting of military leaders would focus on operational planning. The Saturday call included leaders from various nations, including Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, and others, with participation from NATO and EU representatives as well. Additional details are expected as this breaking news story continues to develop.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/western-military-chiefs-set-to-meet-to-discuss-operational-phase-of-ukraine-peace-deal-13329053