The Kremlin stated on Thursday that any British initiative to deploy troops to Ukraine as part of a potential peacekeeping effort would be deemed unacceptable by Russia, expressing concern over remarks made by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Starmer has indicated his “readiness and willingness” to send UK forces to Ukraine as a security assurance should a ceasefire agreement be reached between Moscow and Kyiv.

According to the Telegraph, Starmer intends to propose to U.S. President Donald Trump the deployment of fewer than 30,000 European troops to Ukraine in exchange for American protection for these forces. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov remarked that such a proposal is unacceptable, as it would involve troops from a NATO member state, which could have implications for Russia’s security.

“This raises concerns for us, as it pertains to the potential deployment of military contingents from NATO countries to Ukraine,” Peskov informed reporters during a daily briefing. “This fundamentally alters the security landscape from our perspective,” he added. “We are closely monitoring the situation.”

Russia has consistently opposed the presence of NATO troops in Ukraine, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov asserting this week that Moscow would consider such a deployment a “direct threat” to its sovereignty, regardless of the troops’ operational flag. During discussions with the United States in Riyadh on Tuesday, Russia insisted that NATO retract its 2008 commitment to eventually grant Ukraine membership in the alliance and dismissed the notion that NATO forces could serve as peacekeepers in a ceasefire arrangement.