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British troops could deployed to Ukraine to train soldiers in a dramatic expansion of UK support to Kyiv, defence secretary suggests
UK troops could be deployed to Ukraine to train forces there as the defence secretary pushes for Britain “to help them motivate and mobilise more recruits”.
John Healey told The Times, on a visit to Ukraine on Wednesday, that the UK needed to “make the training a better fit for what the Ukrainians need”.
On Thursday, Britain said it would send an additional £225m of military equipment to Ukraine to help it in the war against Russia.
Mr Healey said the UK has a five-point plan for boosting its support including training, weapons and money.
“The UK will step up our international leadership on Ukraine throughout 2025,” he said in a statement.
“We will enhance our offer of training to Ukraine and provide battle-winning capabilities,” he added.
During talks in Kyiv, John Healey presented a five-point plan for the UK to boost support in Ukraine. Pic: PA
The new funding includes £92m to bolster Ukraine’s navy, including small boats and drones along with £68m for air defence equipment including radars, decoy land equipment, and counter-drone warfare systems.
British forces have trained over 51,000 Ukrainian recruits in the UK since the start of the full-scale invasion, but the latest comments suggest a potential change in policy.
In November, the Foreign Secretary David Lammy insisted: “We are not committing UK troops on the ground to Ukraine” although on Wednesday he was less definitive when challenged by Sky News about the UK’s position.
Defence Secretary John Healey visited Kyiv on Wednesday for talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov. Pic: PA
But when asked on Wednesday how Britain would respond if Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy requested British troops be sent to Ukraine, he did not reject the idea.
“It is strength that Vladimir Putin will respond to… The truth is Putin is not a man you can negotiate with,” Mr Lammy told Sky News yesterday.
The speculation coincides with European leaders holding discussions in Brussels about the security position in Ukraine, after the war.
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Mr Zelenskyy held fresh discussions with Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday about the French president’s proposal to deploy troops in Ukraine as a means to achieve a stable peace.
“We share a common vision: reliable guarantees are essential for a peace that can truly be achieved,” the Ukrainian President wrote in a post on X.
Mr Zelenskyy told reporters that talks in Brussels – including with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte – were “a very good opportunity to speak about security guarantees for Ukraine for today and for tomorrow”.
In a separate interview, he also admitted Ukraine cannot remove Russian troops from the land they occupy in the east of the country and Crimea.
He gave similar remarks to Sky News, when he suggested a ceasefire deal could be struck under certain conditions.