Defence Chiefs Meet in London to Discuss Post-Ceasefire Peacekeeping in Ukraine

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer and John Healey, Secretary of State for Defence, center left, speak to General Nick Perry Chief of Joint Operations, left, in front of a Ukraine map as they visit a military base to meet planners mapping out next steps in the Coalition of the Willing in Northwood, London, Thursday, March 20, 2025
| Photo Credit: AP

Defence Chiefs of some thirty Western countries gathered in London on Thursday (March 20, 2025) for a “planning” meeting to discuss peacekeeping in Ukraine in a post-ceasefire scenario with Russia.

This was “a chance for the thirty nations that represent the ‘coalition of the willing’ to come here to start the military planning as to what that force might look like”, Minister for the Armed Forces Luke Pollard said in a broadcast interview to the BBC.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer had said on Saturday (March 15, 2025) that the “coalition of the willing” – which is a name given to a group of countries, headed by the U.K. and France, which would help keep the peace following any ceasefire in Ukraine – was entering its “operational phase”.  

On Tuesday (March 18, 2025), Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia would agree to a partial 30-day ceasefire but ruled out a complete ceasefire for the period, saying foreign intelligence sharing and military aid to Kyiv had to end

Thursday’s (March 20, 2025) meeting in London is the outcome of a virtual meeting held on Saturday (March 15, 2025) between the countries on a post-ceasefire peacekeeping plan in Ukraine.

Thursday’s (March 20, 2025) meeting agenda in London included details on logistics such as which country would offer aircrafts, where they be re- fuelled and so forth, according to Mr. Pollard.

“Because we want the ‘coalition of the willing’ to be a credible force that will allow Ukraine to enjoy a lasting peace,” he said.

While the U.S. is not part of the coalition, Mr. Pollard reiterated that a U.S. “backstop” (i.e., security guarantee) was necessary.  The security features of the peacekeeping forces would include a maritime and air presence.

The U.S. however has not said it would provide a backstop, suggesting first that an American presence in Ukraine as part of a U.S.-Ukraine deal on the extraction of Ukraine’s critical minerals and rare earths would deter Russian aggression.

This week, the discussion of a U.S. presence appeared to have shifted to American involvement with and ownership of Ukrainian nuclear and electric power plants according to a U.S. government press statement. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had said that only the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant was discussed with U.S. President Donald Trump and that the ownership would remain would Ukraine.