Former prime minister Boris Johnson has called for troops from the UK and Europe to be deployed immediately to Ukraine.
Mr Johnson said non-combat forces should be stationed in peaceful regions to send a firm message to Russian president Vladimir Putin otherwise the Russian leader would “keep going” with the conflict.
Speaking ahead of the four-year anniversary of the invasion, the former politician told BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg that Ukraine’s allies had been “too slow” to respond.
“We’ve always delayed needlessly,” he said. “We’ve then ended up giving the Ukrainians what they have been asking for, and actually it’s always served to their advantage and to the disadvantage of Putin. I mean, the one person who suffers from escalation is Putin.”
In the comments, which are set to air on Sunday, Mr Johnson said that he saw no reason why military action could not be taken to support Ukraine during wartime if security guarantees were promised in the event of a ceasefire.
“If we are willing to do it in the context of a ceasefire, which of course puts all the initiative, all the power, in Putin’s hands, why not do it now?’” he questioned.
“There is no logical reason that I can see why we shouldn’t send peaceful ground forces there to show our support, our constitutional support for a free, independent Ukraine.”
Military strategists and commentators have suggested that such a move could be interpreted by Russia as an escalation. Putin has previously remarked that Russia is “ready right now” for war if Europe wants it.
Putin rejected Western peacekeeping proposals in September warning that troops deployed to protect Ukraine would be considered “legitimate targets”.
Mr Johnson pushed back on those comments and insisted that Ukraine and its supporters should be able to operate on their own terms not those dictated by Russia.
“It’s about whether Ukraine is a free country or not,” he said. “If it’s a vassal state of Russia, which is what Putin wants, then obviously it’s up to Putin to decide who comes to his country. If it’s not, then it’s up to the Ukrainians.”
Britain’s ministry of defence responded to the comments to reiterate the government’s existing policy, confirming that ongoing work with the “coalition of the willing” would prepare for troop deployment in the event of a ceasefire.
“The multinational force Ukraine under UK leadership will secure peace for the long term, with the Prime Minister being clear that we will put British troops on the ground following the end of hostilities,” the ministry said in a statement.
Mr Johnson also blamed Western failures for the invasion citing a lack of support for Ukraine after the invasion of Crimea in 2014, a chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan and delays in punishing Bashar al-Assad for the use of chemical weapons in Syria.
“I think Putin was emboldened by a Western failure in Syria to punish Assad for using chemical weapons,” he said.
“I think Putin was further emboldened in February 2022 by what he’d seen in Afghanistan, and a sort of general sense that the West was on the back foot. He’d seen those appalling pictures of Americans being forced to flee Afghanistan and the UK pulling out as well, and that really did embolden him.”
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “We are proud of UK leadership on Ukraine – supporting the fight today and working to secure the peace tomorrow.
“It’s why this Government is providing the highest ever level of military support, including a recent half-billion-pound air defence package just last week, accelerating £200 million for the UK military to prepare for any Ukraine deployment, and working with over 30 nations through the UK-led coalition of the willing.
“The multinational force Ukraine under UK leadership will secure peace for the long term, with the Prime Minister being clear that we will put British troops on the ground following the end of hostilities.”
