Party leader Ed Davey says West has days to ‘save Ukraine from a shoddy deal’ — and wants the House of Commons to be involved.
LONDON — The British government is facing a fresh demand to shelve the parliamentary recess after Keir Starmer pitched U.K. involvement in a post-war peacekeeping force in Ukraine.
Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey, who has argued parliament should have a say over the potential ramp-up in British assistance, said Tuesday: “Keir Starmer should bring back Parliament to debate his plans to support Ukraine.”
He added: “We have just days for the U.K. to lead in Europe and save Ukraine from a shoddy deal cooked up by [U.S. President Donald] Trump and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin.”
It comes after Davey joined MPs from the governing Labour Party and opposition Tories to call for more parliamentary scrutiny of Starmer’s plan, which has received a mixed reception in Europe. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz argued Monday it was “highly inappropriate” to discuss sending peacekeeping troops before a peace plan is agreed, and a French-hosted summit broke up with little consensus on a way forward.
In an interview with POLITICO, Davey — whose party is the third largest in Britain’s parliament and has form in demanding recalls — offered flexibility about the timing of any vote, but insisted a check by parliament is needed as Starmer presses ahead.
Asked if it was essential that MPs should get a vote before any troops head to Ukraine, Davey said it was “too early to say. We’ve always been happy with retrospective votes. It’s about getting the balance right between Parliament making its voice heard and government doing what it thinks it needs to in order to protect the realm.”
Davey said he welcomed Starmer attending Macron’s mini-summit in Paris on Monday as a good start. “But we need to do even more,” he said. “For instance, it is time that the U.K. and Europe look at spending frozen Russian assets on protecting Ukraine.”
Britain’s defense chief reiterated Tuesday that a U.K. contingent of peacekeepers must include a U.S. guarantee of support — a tall order given Russia and the U.S. have already begun talks on a deal to end the war without Ukrainian or European involvement.
Speaking at the Institute for Government, John Healey said: “The European countries have to play a leading part in that guarantee, but require a backstop from the U.S. because, in the end, it is only the U.S. that can provide the deterrence to Putin that will prevent him attacking again.”
Starmer hopes to host European leaders for a briefing in Britain about the situation in Ukraine after he meets Trump in Washington, D.C. next week.
Tim Ross contributed reporting.