British troops and their European allies would be allowed to fire back if attacked by Russians when potentially stationed as peacekeepers in Ukraine after a ceasefire, western officials said.
The Anglo-French led stabilisation force would also not rely on US systems or technology, such as Elon Musk’s Starlink, and is expected to be almost exclusively European if deployed.
“Clearly we will protect our forces against any aggression,” an official familiar with the plans said, though they emphasised that western troops in Ukraine would engage in a manner that was “defensive in nature”.
Details emerged as the UK and France set out Exercise Koalicja, which will take place later this month in Poland. It is an 11-country rehearsal of how European militaries could deploy rapidly to Ukraine if the war comes to an end.
The test of the multinational force will involve 2,800 soldiers, sailors and aviators. France is supplying 1,500 troops from its 1st Division and Britain 300 from the 7th Light Mechanised Brigade.
Though a future deployment in support of Kyiv remains hypothetical, it is a reminder that the conflict could reignite involving British forces, given that Russia has a long history of low-level attacks during the Ukraine ceasefire between 2014 and 2022.
Lt Gen Tom Bateman, the commander of the force, said the UK, France and other European countries were committed “to providing robust and binding security guarantees for Ukraine following a cessation of hostilities”.
