Britain ready to deploy up to 30,000 troops in Ukraine off the frontline - media

European officials met on Tuesday to discuss a plan to send British and French troops to Ukraine as part of a peace deal, including the number and position of troops, Bloomberg reported, citing its own informed sources.

"A gathering of European officials on Tuesday focused on a plan to send British and French troops to Ukraine as part of a peace agreement, including the size and position of military personnel, according to people familiar with the matter. About 10 countries would be ready to send forces to the war-battered nation, they said on condition of anonymity," the publication writes.

The next part of the plan involves a so-called American backstop, which would facilitate intelligence sharing, border surveillance, weapons and, possibly, air defense. At the same time, the nature of any US support remains unclear.

" While European leaders heralded the White House meeting as a breakthrough, pointing to Trump’s stand on guarantees, several officials said they remain skeptical about the prospect of a peace deal — and whether guarantees will be enough to deter Putin," the report said.

According to the publication, a total of about ten countries are ready to send troops to Ukraine.

It is reported that European military representatives will meet with their American counterparts in the coming days to clarify "reliable security guarantees and prepare for the deployment of support forces if the fighting stops." The talks will include NATO's supreme commander in Europe, as well as the heads of defense departments of member states, sources familiar with the matter said.

The British The Guardian writes that the Chief of the Defense Staff of the United Kingdom Tony Radakin will visit the Pentagon on Wednesday to finalize the fact that 30 different countries are ready to make commitments to Ukraine's national security.

" Radakin is expected to confirm the UK will provide soldiers to help with logistical support and training, but not deploy them close to Russia. Officials had been talking about deploying as many as 30,000 troops to protect Ukrainian sites, but that has been scaled back amid opposition from some European countries," the report said.

An unnamed British official told the newspaper that Radakin will reiterate promises made last week by the UK Defense Secretary, John Healy, who said the UK was ready to deploy troops to Ukraine "to ensure safe skies, safe seas and strengthen Ukrainian forces."

"Wednesday is a really important moment. Nothing happens in Washington without the president giving the green light, so Trump giving his support to security guarantees on Monday kickstarted a lot of activity," another British official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

They said ministers see it as logistical and training support, not as sending battalions of troops to the front lines that could see them in combat.

Wednesday's meetings are seen in Europe as a crucial step towards a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, which British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said will only be possible if the United States is prepared to provide security guarantees.

Some experts say European leaders do not expect Vladimir Putin to agree to even such a limited deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine, and that European leaders are considering isolating the Russian president. But British officials insist that is not the case, and that Britain and its partners are seriously preparing to send troops to the country if needed.