The peace plan for Ukraine proposed by Keir Starmer to the Coalition of Volunteers has been described by British military officials as „political theater,” according to military sources.
A senior officer in the British military stated that Starmer’s plan is „political theater” lacking „a defined final military objective or hypotheses of military strategic planning.”
"Starmer started talking about boots on the ground before knowing what he was talking about. That's why we hear less about it now and more about planes and ships, things that are easier to do and do not require a base in Ukraine," said the source quoted by The Telegraph.
Another military source described Starmer's initiative as a "politically senseless" move, adding that the US and Russia do not support the UK-led coalition.
Both sources added that there is a great deal of uncertainty about the role of an "international force of 10,000 people based in western Ukraine over 400 km from the front line."
Chief of the Defence Staff, Antony Radakin, dismissed criticisms of the plans and stated that "no one should have any doubt that this activity is vital and substantial."
Radakin and the heads of the British military services are meeting with their French counterparts on Monday at the UK Ministry of Defence headquarters.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called on several countries to join a coalition, named the Coalition of the willing, which will provide planes and troops in Ukraine in an effort to secure a ceasefire. He previously emphasized that this coalition will need strong US support to succeed.
Over 30 countries have expressed willingness to contribute to the coalition's peacekeeping force, Starmer's spokesperson stated on March 17, confirming that the initiative has entered an "operational phase."
On March 21, it was also announced that the United Kingdom could deploy either Typhoon fighter jets or US-made F-35s to conduct air patrol missions, considering their advanced air-to-air capabilities.
On the same day, US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff criticized, in an interview with far-right American journalist Tucker Carlson, Starmer's plan for a special coalition force to support the ceasefire in Ukraine.
Witkoff labeled Starmer's plan as "simplistic," adding that he does not believe Russia wants to take over all of Ukraine or invade Europe. "There is this notion that we all have to be like Winston Churchill, that the Russians will march through Europe. By the way, it's absurd," he told Carlson.
T.D.