Tokyo are taking part in planning conversations for a peacekeeping force in Ukraine, with military chiefs from around 30 countries meeting in London on Thursday
Japan is expected to play a key role in a peacekeeping force in [Ukraine](https://inews.co.uk/news/world/russia-preparing-new-ground-invasion-ukraine-zelensky-3586960?ico=in-line_link), it has emerged.
Sir Keir Starmer revealed at the weekend that the Tokyo government is the latest ally to join his “coalition of the willing” to support a post-war deal between Kyiv and Moscow.
It is not known whether Japan, which has a defence force of around 300,000 troops including reserves, will offer armed forces personnel as peacekeepers on the ground in Ukraine, or contribute in another way, such as through logistics or equipment.
But Whitehall insiders said Japanese officials are taking part in the planning conversations as the coalition moves into a new operational phase.
Defence Secretary John Healey and military chiefs from around 30 countries will meet at the Ministry of Defence’s Permanent Joint Headquarters, in northwest London on Thursday to discuss active planning for deployment of the force.
The headquarters is the location for the planning and control of overseas military operations.
So far only the UK and France have publicly committed to offering “boots on the ground” in Ukraine, but it is hoped that more nations will step forward with concrete offers for the peacekeeping force which is expected to number more than 10,000.
Following his virtual summit with the coalition of the willing on Saturday – including leaders from Nato countries, Europe, Australia and New Zealand – the Prime Minister said: “There are different capabilities from different countries, but those are the operational discussions that are going on in relation to what this coalition of the willing will be able to provide.”
Russia has already warned that it will not accept a peacekeeping force made up of Nato countries. But it is hoped that the presence of countries that are not in Nato, such as Japan and Australia, could [persuade Vladimir Putin to negotiate in peace talks with Ukraine](https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/deal-tempt-putin-peace-ukraine-3585333?srsltid=AfmBOorZeGcjcJdo5mwUZDVnRIBouLcziWhY80DWPn08LpH6I_st5r4U&ico=in-line_link).
Japan was forced to demilitarise after the Second World War but over recent years, amid growing fears that China could invade Taiwan, the country has been building up its military, spending billions on missiles and other equipment to prepare for possible conflict in the Indo-Pacific as well as expanding its army.
In January Japan appointed a full-time ambassador to Nato and has been forging closer military links with its European allies.
This includes a new security and defence partnership with the UK. In April the HMS Prince of Wales will arrive in Japan to take part in joint military exercises.
The two countries have also forged a new economic partnership to boost economic growth.
While the US continues to get Russia to come to the negotiating table, further efforts will be made this week to prepare for the deployment of a multinational peacekeeping force.
On Tuesday Healey and the UK Chief of the Defence Staff Tony Radakin will meet with EU Commission Vice President Kaja Kallas in Brussels.
But there are still questions over whether a peace deal can actually be reached and what the rules of engagement the peacekeepers would need to follow.
Finnish prime minister Alexander Stubb told the BBC on Sunday: “We are willing to do concrete measures overall but from our perspective it is too early to talk about boots on the ground. Because we don’t have a ceasefire, we don’t have a peace process.
“You also have to remember that Finland has 1,340 kilometres of border with Russia. So we take care of the northern flanks but there are so many different ways we can help out. I’m really glad that we are seeing strong leadership coming from the UK.”
And former UK national security adviser Lord Peter Ricketts has said that a European force in Ukraine is a “considerable risk” without US support.
He told Sky News’s _Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips_: “To be credible, a deterrent force has to be willing to fight, so are we actually saying that this force might one day have to fight the Russians in Ukraine? I think it’s a genuine question.
“And the way to avoid it, of course, is to have a cast iron American guarantee that if the force got into trouble, the Americans would come in and support. That’s what the backstop means.
“I just don’t think Trump is going to give that kind of commitment, so while I admire the work going into this, and maybe there are ways that European forces can help in Ukraine… I think a formed fighting force is a considerable risk without an American clear guarantee.”
Health Secretary Wes Streeting acknowledged that any confrontation between Russian and British troops in Ukraine would be an “extraordinary escalation” by Moscow.
Asked what deterrence a peacekeeping force could present to Russia, Streeting told Sky News: “I think it would be an extraordinary escalation for Russian troops to find themselves in conflict with British troops.
“What Thursday is about, where the Prime Minister and the UK are convening military leaders from across allied countries, is about having a serious plan, a serious military strategy to secure a peace.
“And of course there’s a huge amount of effort that the Prime Minister is heavily involved in to negotiate the peace.
“So there are lots of moving parts at the moment, it’s moving incredibly quickly, and what the Prime Minister has tried to do at every stage is to make sure that we come up with a credible plan involving the Ukrainians that guarantees their peace and security, and Europe’s at large because our own security is intertwined with Ukraine’s.”