UK and France say Ukraine peacekeepers could fire back at Russians, skip US tech
Western officials detail an Anglo-French-led stabilisation force that would return fire if attacked and avoid depending on US systems like Starlink.
What to know
- Officials say a future Anglo-French-led peacekeeping force in Ukraine would be permitted to fire back if attacked by Russia, though engagement would stay 'defensive in nature'.
- The force is designed to avoid reliance on US systems and technology, including Elon Musk's Starlink, after the US briefly restricted Ukraine's Starshield access last month.
- Exercise Koalicja, involving 2,800 troops from 11 countries, will rehearse rapid deployment in Poland later this month, but any real deployment depends on a ceasefire that has not materialized.
- Trump has said the US would not commit its own forces to peacekeeping, underscoring that the plan would be almost exclusively European and outside Nato.
“Clearly we will protect our forces against any aggression”
Western official, official familiar with the plans · The Guardian ↗ · Nov 2
Lt Gen Tom Bateman Commander of the proposed multinational force
Donald Trump US PresidentUK Ministry of Defence / Western officials Anonymous officials briefing on the planFrance Co-lead nation of the proposed stabilisation force
How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts
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background
Bateman frames force as a binding security guarantee for Kyiv — The force's commander said the UK, France and other participating European countries were committed to providing robust security guarantees for Ukraine once hostilities end, while stressing the force would be 'non-Nato'.
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UK and France detail Exercise Koalicja rehearsal in Poland
The UK and France set out Exercise Koalicja, an 11-country rehearsal later this month in Poland involving 2,800 troops — 1,500 French and 300 British — testing rapid deployment plans to Ukraine developed over more than a year.
“military preparedness, rapid deployment capabilities and ability to operate effectively…”
— Lt Gen Tom Bateman -
first by The Times, 5d ago · also The Guardian
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An Anglo-French led peacekeeping force in Ukraine, deployed following a ceasefire, would be permitted to return fire if attacked by Russia. The force is expected to rely on European technology rather than US systems like Starlink.
1 more of the top 2 · 3 posts in this stretch
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— ‘British troops and their European allies would be allowed to fire back if attacked by Russians when potentially stationed as peacekeepers in Ukraine after a ceasefire, western officials said. The Anglo-French led stabilisation force would also not rely on US systems or technology, such as Elon Musk’s Starlink, and is expected to be almost…
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Officials say Ukraine peacekeepers could fire back at Russians
Western officials said British troops and European allies stationed as peacekeepers in Ukraine after a ceasefire would be permitted to return fire if attacked, and that the Anglo-French-led force would not depend on US systems or technology such as Starlink.
“We are not dependent on US systems…”
— Western official -
first by Sky News, 5d ago
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Western officials: UK and European troops, potentially stationed as peacekeepers in #Ukraine after ceasefire, will be allowed to fire back if attacked by #Russia Multinational force, led by UK and France, will not rely on US systems or technology, such as #ElonMusk ’s #Starlink #UkraineWar
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background
Hackers breach Ukrainian and Russian air-raid alert apps — On Sunday and Monday, Ukraine's and Russia's air-raid alert apps were hacked; the Ukrainian app briefly issued false warnings of nuclear and chemical threats and 'streetfighting'.
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US briefly cuts Ukraine's Starshield access — The US suddenly restricted Ukraine's use of Starlink's military variant, Starshield, for about 10 days, affecting medium-range drone missions.
What people are saying 21 voices from 2 sites · best of 25 · verbatim
- Today
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I took those numbers from news few days back . Can't verify how accurate that is. It would be a win-win. I think we agree on that. And there is a shift in mentality in Europe. So maybe it is not idea and not as quick as possible but again Europe is not a single country so sadly things takes time. But, hopefully, we are getting there.
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you think ships don't need to be defended? From ships stuck in ports? No. for a while there europe couldn't defend its shipping from somali pirates during peacetime Exactly the reversed scenario, somali pirates operating close to their shore while Europeans had to send ships far away from their ports. In case of the war it would be Russia that…
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I agree with your take on the navy, I don‘t see how diverting immense amounts of investment and industrial capacity towards building ships could possibly help us in a conflict with Russia. All of that industrial investment instead needs to go into drones and armoured vehicles and ammunition and missiles and Patriot/Iron Dome style systems…
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you think ships don't need to be defended? for a while there europe couldn't defend its shipping from somali pirates during peacetime, let alone during war. when countries find themselves falling on hard times other countries pile on and make demands that benefit themselves. if europe cannot defend their interests at sea they cannot fight modern…
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Yes I understand the concept, but I do not understand how fleet in being threatens supply lines. Cause this was original premise : "Europe needs more ships to protect shipping lines". So while I agree with you that ships in Murmansk or Severomorsk needs to be contained somehow they are not a threat to supply lines that are in the Mediterranean and…
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i think you have a misunderstand of the idea a fleet in being does not need to project their power, they only need to be able to threaten it. it never needs to leave port, just look like it can leave port. germany had effect on british efforts at sea from early in the war, britains navy was stretched thin but they always had to keep sufficient…
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Europe has a bunch of countries with small yet capable armies, navies, and air forces. And yes, they do regularly deploy overseas, mostly for humanitarian stuff but that counts for logistics. They also almost always work together on these things America does a lot of the heavy lifting, including nukes and other big stuff like mid air refueling…
- Yesterday
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Patriot production is going to more than triple within the next three years and THAAD production is going to more than quadruple in that timeframe as well. Lockheed Martin and other contractors are investing tens of billions to modernize and enormously expand capacity. There are many new partnerships and optimizations to the entire supply chain in…
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Europe is panicking at the idea of America "jogging on" it is a mass scramble Europe is doing. I'm not thrilled about American politics as they are, but I still care about my country
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It has you're right and it's the only good thing Trump has done. We don't need your help fella, jog on 👋🏻
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What assurances and vows of protection has Europe ever provided? Specifically to the USA? It only goes one way, doesn't it? Those are American tax dollars put into the defense of other countries and then those same countries moan non stop about America
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I think you rise important points but I think you also mixed up everything into one bag and suddenly discuss WW3 scenario. Europe has one enemy and that is Russia (unless US goes completely nuts and attacks Canada or Greenland but after recent elections this is less likely imo). I am no military expert but I doubt that in war with Russia navy is…
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Yeah, I'm sure that would've worked great on Nazi Germany too. I guess we know you would've shot yourself in the foot to stay home eh?
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Yeah, pretty gutless stuff honestly. Disappointing how little help we've given Ukraine. They deserve better.
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Luckily the Ukrainian army has a boat load of experience in all of those things. Their equipment is just not as advanced, and I don't have the delusion the EU has tech that is 100% on par with USA military tech. But it's certainly not subpar compared to Russia, minus the crazy amount of nukes Russia has.
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Oh surely not, I'm talking about years down the line. This training deployment will allow to find the gaps and, ssuming they continue, they will eventually allow self sufficiency.
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It was always the case, why do we need those big news? Fear mongering of the week?
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Article is stating the obvious, what's the alternative, not being allowed to shoot back while being shot at?
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More importantly, in practice people pay taxes and cross territory. The population on the territory of the peacekeeping operation will still pay those taxes to Kyiv and will only need to go through the proceedings required to cross borders in the place we will know the Russia-Ukraine border to be at the end of this conflict.
- Nov 5
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.. under discussion than at any time since the start of the war. For example, the characteristics of the European stabilisation force that would deploy to Ukraine after a ceasefire are much more detailed than in previous public reporting.
- Nov 3
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⚡ British troops and other European forces deployed to Ukraine after a future ceasefire would be allowed to return fire if attacked by Russian forces.