Former Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov said an agreement by the coalition of the willing to put boots on the ground in Ukraine has left Vladimir Putin unsure what to do next
10:27, 07 Jan 2026Updated 10:35, 07 Jan 2026
A former Russian Prime Minister has said the UK and France's pledge to put boots on the ground in Ukraine has "changed the game" and stumped Vladimir Putin.
Mikhail Kasyanov said the coalition of the willing has left the Russian leader unsure of what to do next. It comes after Putin's allies reacted angrily after Keir Starmer said the UK and France would establish military hubs on Ukrainian soil if a peace deal is reached.
Mr Kasyanov told Times Radio that the Russian President will have to "change his attitude". He said: "Yesterday in Paris, the coalition of willing changed the approach, changed the game. And in fact, right now, they separated the issue of security guarantees for Ukraine from other points, and they made a significant move.
"And now they try not to satisfy Putin's demand, but they're trying to satisfy Mr Trump's demand."
He continued: "They reconfirmed the transatlantic unity, because Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed all the agreement they achieved yesterday with the backstops of the US. That is absolutely a great move.
"And troops on the ground, that is an important thing. Right now, just Putin has nothing to say. He doesn't know what to do now, how to react.
"To reject everything, it means to reject Trump's approach." Mr Kasyanov added: "Yesterday, the consolidation just demonstrated that Ukraine would enjoy, continue to enjoy full support of European countries with the backstops of the US. That is important. It's pressure, it's pressure on Putin . Now, he has to also change his attitude."
Britain has agreed to build protected facilities for weapons and military equipment to help Kyiv defend itself. The PM, French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky signed a joint declaration in Paris to allow British and French boots on the ground after a ceasefire.
It comes after senior Vladimir Putin lieutenant Dmitry Rogozin branded Mr Starmer “illiterate and a fool” for vowing to base British troops in Ukraine as part of a peace deal. This would open the UK up to missile strikes by Russia, he implied.
Attack dog Rogozin, Putin's former deputy premier and space agency chief, said: “Of course, Starmer is illiterate and a fool in the grand scheme of things, but he should still understand what we will do to their s*** kingdom if they actually try to implement this nonsense."
In a significant step forward, Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff said the US President has agreed to get behind the security guarantees - and was prepared to deter Russian attacks and even defend Ukraine if peace is breached.
A blueprint unveiled for plans to guarantee peace includes a multinational force for Ukraine led by European countries. Non-European countries could also be involved, with proposed support for the US.
The declaration also includes participation in a US-led ceasefire monitoring, long-term support for the Ukrainian army and support for Kyiv to restore peace in any future Russian attack.
Mr Starmer said: "It's important we're starting the year like this - European and American allies, side by side with President Zelensky, standing for peace. And we are closer to that goal than ever. But of course, the hardest yards are still ahead."