Search
08 Sept 2025
Search
08 Sept 2025
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
It is “very possible” Scottish troops could head to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force, the Scottish Secretary has said.
Last month, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he would be willing to send UK forces personnel to Ukraine in a bid to enforce a deal with Russia that would end the war, something he said he did not consider “lightly”.
Speaking to journalists on Monday, Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said forces from north of the border could be included.
“Let’s be very clear, it would be a peacekeeping role, that’s what the Prime Minister has offered, but it’s also about Europe stepping up,” he told Bauer Media.
“That’s why the Prime Minister had that European summit with all the European leaders, Nato and President Zelensky yesterday, it was to go through what a peace looks like.”
Asked about the prospect of Scottish troops heading to the country, Mr Murray said: “It’s very possible, but what we want to see is peace as quickly as possible, and that’s what the Prime Minister is doing.”
Peace, however, would have to be backed by the US, the Scottish Secretary added, to ensure that Russian President Vladimir Putin did not “come back for more” after a deal was struck.
The comments come after tensions flared between the US and Ukraine last week, with an Oval Office meeting including President Volodymyr Zelensky, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance devolving into a shouting match.
After the meeting, Mr Trump said Mr Zelensky could “come back when you’re ready for peace”.
Responding to the White House meeting, Mr Murray told the PA news agency it was important “we move beyond that”, adding things that “are good colour and good stories” are put aside.
Asked if the US can continue to be a trusted partner on the world stage, the Scottish Secretary said: “It 100% is and we have to make sure it is, because their security, our security here in the UK and Europe’s security is dependent on that – we all work together in Nato.”
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
