The UK is considering the possibility of including Typhoon fighter jets in a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine after a ceasefire agreement is signed, the Times newspaper reported, citing its own sources.
British ministers are discussing ways to provide guarantees for Ukraine's security without sending a large contingent of ground troops. According to a government source, Britain could create an "air policing" mission similar to NATO's program: The alliance has been guarding the airspace of the Baltic states since 2004.
This option seems more likely than the creation of a no-fly zone over Ukraine, as in the latter case, planes would have to patrol its airspace around the clock, a Royal Air Force source told the newspaper. The "police mission" is expected to involve dozens of "armed to the teeth" and ready-to-fly fighter jets, which will be based in Poland.
If Britain decides to use the air force, it and other European countries will have to use fewer soldiers to ensure security on the ground, the Times claims.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in mid-February that his homeland needs 100,000 European peacekeepers to ensure security after the end of the military conflict with Russia.
However, the United Kingdom believes that "a few tens of thousands of people or even fewer" would be sufficient to meet the guarantees, writes "The Guardian". According to "The Washington Post", the European Union is considering sending 25,000 to 30,000 troops.
At the same time, a number of European countries, such as Poland and Italy, doubt the advisability of sending peacekeepers, and Germany considers discussions on this topic premature.
US President Donald Trump supported the idea of sending EU peacekeepers to Ukraine, but stated that there would be no American contingent there.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that Moscow was not satisfied with the proposals of Trump's associates for the introduction of European forces. A day earlier, he called the appearance of NATO troops on the territory of Ukraine unacceptable, even "under a foreign flag, under the EU flag or under national flags.".