Starmer and Macron are heading to Washington with a plan for a Ukrainian peacekeeping mission.

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will travel to Washington next week for meetings aimed at ending Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Starmer is expected to present Donald Trump with a proposal to deploy up to 30,000 European troops in Ukraine to ensure a ceasefire is honored. This peacekeeping mission would position European troops in key cities, ports, and critical facilities in Ukraine, such as nuclear power plants, while keeping them away from the front lines. The plan includes technical monitoring of the situation using drones, satellites, and aircraft, along with the capacity to intercept attacks. Additionally, warships may be deployed in the Black Sea to safeguard trade routes.

Trump is anticipated to support the plan because it does not involve US troops. If a peacekeeping mission were to occur, NATO may have to consider whether to invoke Article 5, concerning collective defense of NATO members, in the event of a Russian attack on European troops in Ukraine.