UK prime minister believes his country will play 'leading part' in maintaining security guarantees for Ukraine

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said any deal that’s on the table to end Russia’s war in Ukraine must be "lasting" to ensure it’s not breached like previous peace agreements.

"It's got to be something that endures," he said Thursday in an interview on "Special Report." "And for that to happen, there needs to be a real sense from [Russian President Vladimir] Putin that he can't breach that deal."

Starmer told Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier that European countries, including the United Kingdom, need to play a part in establishing and maintaining security guarantees once the war is over.

Portraits of Ukrainian soldiers are seen at the Memorial for the Fallen at Independence Square Maidan on the third anniversary of Russia's invasion, Kyiv Monday, February 24, 2025. ((Photo by BO AMSTRUP/NTB/AFP via Getty Images))

"I've indicated that the United Kingdom will play a leading part, whether that's troops on the ground. We've also been talking about possible air and maritime work that we can do, talking to our European partners," he said.

The Labour Party leader met with President Donald Trump at the White House Thursday, days after a call with world leaders and Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy on the three-year anniversary of Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion.

Starmer announced a commitment earlier this week to increase the UK's defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, which is half the number Trump would like to see. 

NATO SECRETARY GENERAL SAYS EUROPEAN COUNTRIES HAVE TO DO ‘MUCH, MUCH MORE’ TO INCREASE DEFENSE SPENDING

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrive to lay wreaths at The Wall of Remembrance of the Fallen for Ukraine on January 16, 2025 in Kyiv, Ukraine. ((Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images))

The commander-in-chief wants NATO members to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP to bolster their own security.

The prime minister’s office said the proposed increase to GDP is the biggest investment in defense spending since the Cold War.

"In recent years, the world has been reshaped by global instability, including Russian aggression in Ukraine, increasing threats from malign actors, rapid technological change, and the accelerating impacts of climate change," read the press release from 10 Downing Street in part. 

Starmer acknowledged there are still many issues to be worked out before any deal is finalized, but praised Trump for changing the conversation and moving to end the war.

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FRENCH PRESIDENT TELLS TRUMP TO ‘BE CAREFUL’ IN THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS TO END RUSSIA'S WAR IN UKRAINE

"He's brought about a historic opportunity. For three years, this conflict has been dragging on with so many people killed. The president has changed that, and I think that's a real opportunity that he's created," said the prime minister.

He added that he is concerned Putin won’t live up to his end of the deal because "historically that's been the case." 

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French President Emmanuel Macron told "Special Report" earlier in the week that there needs to be more guarantees in place than just a ceasefire due to previous violations by Russia in 2014 and 2015 with regard to the Minsk Agreements.

Drag-line excavator mines rare earth materials on Ukrainian soil on February 25, 2025 in the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine. ((Photo by Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images))

Zelenskyy is set to meet with Trump Friday at the White House to sign an historic rare earth minerals deal. 

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The Trump administration says the deal creates a long-term economic partnership between the United States and Ukraine and helps recoup the tens of billions sent to Kyiv.