During a leaders' meeting on Tuesday, the "coalition of the willing" countries confirmed their intention to send troops to Ukraine as part of "security guarantees." Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has said that Moscow will never consent, in any form, to the deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine, including forces from the "coalition of the willing".
"Both the British Army and the Royal Air Force are now conducting exercises in preparation, and I have already accelerated 200 million pounds [$271.3 million] to ensure that our forces have the kit they need to deploy," Healey told the parliament on Wendesday.
He noted that the specific structure of the contingent would be determined only after the conclusion of a peace agreement and would comply with its requirements.
On January 6, a high-level "coalition of the willing" meeting took place in Paris, discussing so-called security guarantees for Ukraine. According to a document agreed upon following the meeting, the "coalition" agreed to continue long-term military support for Kiev, with leaders signing a declaration of intent to deploy troops on Ukrainian territory should a peace agreement be concluded.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that there is no point in a foreign military presence in Ukraine after a possible agreement on sustainable peace is reached. The Russian leader has also added that Russia would consider any troops on Ukrainian territory as legitimate targets.