LONDON  -  UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Monday he was ready to send troops to Ukraine if it was needed to ensure the security of Britain and Europe. The UK was playing a leading role in supporting Kyiv in the war against Russia which “also means being ready and willing to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by putting our own troops on the ground if necessary,” Starmer wrote in the Daily Telegraph.

“I do not say that lightly,” Starmer added, saying he felt “very deeply the responsibility that comes with potentially putting British servicemen and women in harm’s way.

“But any role in helping to guarantee Ukraine’s security is helping to guarantee the security of our continent, and the security of this country.”

Starmer confirmed he would join a top-level meeting to be held in Paris on Monday to address growing concerns over US efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

He also said that he would be meeting US President Donald Trump “in the coming days”, adding the UK had “a unique role” to play in ensuring Europe and the United States work closely together.

“US support will remain critical and a US security guarantee is essential for a lasting peace, because only the US can deter Putin from attacking again,” Starmer said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The heads of government of Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark are all expected at the meeting ahead of the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

European countries fear that if Ukraine is forced into a bad deal by Washington then that will leave Putin claiming victory and the continent at the mercy of an emboldened Moscow.

“We are facing a once-in-a-generation moment for the collective security of our continent,” Starmer warned in his article published late Sunday.

“This is not only a question about the future of Ukraine -- it is existential for Europe as a whole.”