SIR KEIR Starmer has thrown down the gauntlet to Vladimir Putin saying there would be “severe consequences” if the despot broke any peace deal.
The Prime Minister issued the punishment warning to the Kremlin tyrant as three days of intense planning takes place next week for sea and air operations.
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High-level talks were held with thirty-one countries today to counter any Russian aggression if a pact is struck.
The PM, who insisted any agreement must be backed up by America, said: “The point of the security arrangements is to make it clear to Russia there’ll be severe consequences if they are to breach any deal.
“That’s why we need a forward leaning European element, which is what I’ve been working on intensely, obviously, with the French, that bring these allied countries together, and beyond,
“I think the Australians and New Zealanders have dialled in this morning in the middle of night in order to be part of the planning. So there is that level of integration.
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“This is why it will require a US component, because it needs to be clear to Putin that there will be severe consequences if he breaches the lines.”
The PM spoke to military planners from countries such as Canada, Denmark and Poland at the Northwood military base, Herts.
It follows a meeting nearly three weeks ago at Lancaster House and a virtual summit before today’s planning of the operational phase.
His intervention comes after the Russian leader insisted he wouldn’t sign up to any peace deal if peacekeeping troops were in Ukraine – insisting it must be disarmed.
He said: “Putin wants a defenceless Ukraine and I think that tells you everything about why we need to do this planning.
“What we’re clear about is that Ukraine needs to be secure and needs to be sovereign. And if you’re sovereign, that means that you decide for yourself what defence capability you have.
“You don’t let the person who’s invaded your country tell you what defence capability that you have.”
The intense day of military activity also saw him visit Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, to see Britain’s submarine building industry.
But he stressed that Ukraine forces would have a key role to play in any peace plan being one of the strongest in Europe since the Russian invasion three years ago.
It’s understood that planning reflected the operational reality of what comes next for the UK and its allies.
The PM added: “They’ve got the capability, they’ve got the numbers, and they’ve actually got the frontline experience. I’ve seen it for myself when I was Kyiv…
“So we’re not talking about something that replaces the capability, we’re talking about something that reinforces that and then puts around it capabilities in relation to air, water and sea and land.”
Sir Keir’s intervention came after a phone call on a peace deal between US President Donald Trump and Putin on Tuesday.
Trump has also had a phone call with Ukraine President Volodymr Zelensky suggesting America runs their power plants.
However, he warned allies that Putin will breach any peace deal “without anything behind it”.
The PM said: “Last weekend and two weekends before that, we had groupings of international political leaders coming together to provide the political alignment and the collective agreement that we need to work together to ensure that any deal that is put in place is defended.
“What’s happening here is turning that political intention into reality, the concept into plans.”
He added: “It is vitally important we do that work because we know one thing for certain, which is a deal without anything behind it is something that Putin will breach.”
“We know that because it happened before. I’m absolutely clear in my mind it will happen again”.
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