British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is ready to deploy British troops to Ukraine for a long period to maintain peace and deter a new Russian invasion, The Times reported on Monday.

According to the publication, London and its allies are considering sending up to 30,000 troops as part of a peacekeeping mission. Defense chiefs from the UK, France, Turkey, Canada and Australia will discuss deployment details at a meeting in London this week.

Starmer said British troops would remain in Ukraine “for as long as it takes.”

Starmer reportedly outlined plans for a Western peacekeeping force of more than 10,000 troops in Ukraine at a virtual meeting of the Coalition of the willing on Saturday. Senior government sources said the prime minister had secured the support of significantly more countries than the three that had initially offered to provide ground troops, although the bulk of the force is likely to come from the UK and France.

According to The Sunday Times, a military source said the final contingent will comfortably exceed 10,000. About 35 countries have agreed to provide weapons, logistics and intelligence support for the mission, which is being called a deterrent force. In the event of a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, this should deter Vladimir Putin from another invasion.

Following a conference call on Saturday involving 29 leaders, Starmer announced that military leaders from around the world would gather in London this week as plans for a multinational peacekeeping force move into an operational phase. On Thursday, Defence Secretary John Healey will meet military chiefs at the Permanent Joint Headquarters, the UK's tri-service headquarters in Northwood, north-west London, where all overseas military operations are planned and overseen.

At a Downing Street press conference, Starmer said the world needs urgent action and that new commitments had been made to peacekeeping and tougher sanctions on Russia in a call between French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Rejecting Putin's "yes, but" approach to Kiyv's proposed ceasefire, the prime minister said the Russian president would have to negotiate sooner or later.