LONDON, December 16. /TASS/. The "Coalition of the Willing" countries have raised the readiness levels of their armed forces ahead of a possible deployment to Ukraine, UK Defense Secretary of State John Healey said during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in the Ramstein format, which was held via videoconference.

"Through the Coalition of the Willing we are raising our readiness levels and I continue to direct funding to prepare our UK troops and Armed Forces, so that we are ready to deploy when peace comes," Healey said in a statement broadcast by the Sky News TV channel.

For several months, British authorities have affirmed their readiness to send troops to Ukraine after a ceasefire. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov previously pointed out that the presence of NATO troops on Ukrainian soil under any flag and in any capacity constitutes a threat to Russia. According to him, Russia will not accept this under any circumstances.

On Monday, European leaders announced in a joint statement that they want security guarantees to include a European-led multinational force in Ukraine. The text notes that these forces should be formed within the framework of the Coalition of the Willing and supported by the US.