‘We can’t afford this!’ – UK warned troops deployment in Ukraine would ‘end in failure’ _ Hieuuk
EXCLUSIVE: British troops being sent to Ukraine could lead to a “humiliation” for Britain, an expert has warned.
The UK has been urged to send troops to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force (Image: Getty)
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has been warned that the UK cannot afford to deploy troops in Ukraine, and the move would end in failure.
It comes after two former UK defence secretaries – Grant Shapps and Sir Gavin Williamson – joined calls for British troops to be part of a peacekeeping force in the country after the conflict with Russia ends.
The Government is also under pressure to ensure that the UK reaches a defence spending commitment of 2.5% of GDP. The Ministers have commited to reaching this total, but it is currently unclear as to over what time period this increase will occur.
The US President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office again on January 20, has said NATO’s European members should spend 5% of their national incomes on defence.
British military expert Nicholas Drummond told Express.co.ukthat he is not sure that the country is sufficiently capable at this time to sustain such a deployment.
He added: “Funding is such an issue that I think we should not squander precious resources for such a mission.
“Leave it to the USA, Poland or Turkey. Meanwhile, we should carry on with British Army modernisation.”
When asked if deployment could lead to an escalation, the defence analyst added: “Potentially. Russia particularly dislikes Britain because we have been so vocal in our support for Ukraine.
READ MORE: Russians ‘told to kill North Korean troops’ in Ukraine as Putin gets desperate [REPORT]
Nicholas Drummond is a defence analyst (Image: AURA Consulting Ltd)
“Since we are unlikely to be the nation that brokers a peace deal, certainly one that Russia would accept, it might be better not to interfere. Trump has said that he will get a deal done. Okay, then let the USA provide a buffer force.
“Stepping back a second, I think it is highly unlikely that Russia would accept any ceasefire agreement that forced it to give up territory it had already seized.
“Britain being in the middle would be a very risky strategy should an uneasy ceasefire end. We would find ourselves directly involved. We can’t afford this.”
Mr Drummond concluded: “We have this habit of jumping into open ended commitments without thinking about the long-term implications or end game. The last thing we need is a costly deployment that ends in failure and humiliation.”
Former Conservative Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Defence, Tobias Ellwood, however, says Britain could lead a peace coalition.
He said: “When a ceasefire is agreed, who is going to gurantee security? That must be NATO troops. It must be a coalition that Britian could lead.
“Britain should step forward, we should be leading as part of a wider coalition in Britain’s interest, Europe’s interest, and Ukraine’s interest.
“The threat is Russia will use any deal to rearm, regroup, and attack again in a year’s time. Of course there is risk, but the greater risk is not doing anything.”
READ MORE:
Boris Johnson brands Vladimir Putin a ‘f***ing idiot’ over his war in Ukraine [REPORT]
David Lammy’s bold demand that could infuriate Donald Trump over defence [REPORT]
‘Keir Starmer’s dithering risks putting Britain on collision course with Trump’ [OPINION]
The Government has said it is committed to increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP (Image: Getty)
Trending
He added: “Putin is on the warpath. 2025 will be the year of grey zone warfare. We are constantly being attacked by Russia and we have to stand up to him. I’m afraid that requires putting boots in danger.”
“We just can’t afford to have a huge, standing army at high readiness in perpetuity, it is too expensive. That’s why we need a society-wide approach including things like national service.”
Mr Ellwood also warned that the UK must stand up to Russia after Moscow’s numerous threats made since the start of the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Despite these threats, the Daily Mail reported last week that Labour is considering delaying its defence spending increase until 2030.
Whitehall sources claimed that UK defence spending won’t reach the target of 2.5% as increased borrowing costs hamper the Labour Government’s ambitions.
The UK currently spends 2.3% of its budget on defence, but many believe this is not enough.
The Government announced on January 3 that thousands of UK personnel will “continue to deploy to Europe in the next two months to spearhead a major NATO exercise”.
More than 2,600 personnel and 730 vehicles are deploying to NATO’s eastern flank.
The Ministry of Defence said in a statement: “Throughout January and February 2025, NATO will conduct Exercise Steadfast Dart 25 to practice the deployment of the new Allied Reaction Force, which can rapidly reinforce NATO’s eastern flank.
“These important exercises will showcase the Alliance’s readiness, capability, and commitment to defend every inch of NATO territory.”
