UK defense minister says he wants to be the one who deploys British troops to Ukraine
UK Defence Secretary John Healey (Photo: Getty Images)
John Healey, the UK Defence Secretary, said he wants to become the first head of the ministry to send British military personnel to Ukraine. According to him, this would serve as a signal of the end of the war and the achievement of peace, according to his column in The Telegraph.
Healey said he aims to become the first defence secretary to send British troops to Ukraine after a peace agreement is reached.
Ahead of the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion, he stressed that 2026 should become the year the war ends.
“I want to be the Defence Secretary who deploys British troops to Ukraine – because this will mean that this war is finally over. It will mean we have negotiated peace in Ukraine. And a secure Europe needs a strong, sovereign Ukraine,” he wrote.
Coalition of the Willing and peacekeeping mission
The British government, together with its allies, is working to create a so-called Coalition of the Willing. This refers to multinational peacekeeping forces that are intended to guarantee Ukraine’s security from future Russian aggression after the war ends.
Last month in Paris, the Prime Minister of the UK signed a declaration of intent with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Emmanuel Macron to send British troops after peace is achieved. A headquarters of 70 personnel has already been established.
New aid packages
John Healey also announced £200 million in funding to prepare the British Armed Forces for possible participation in a multinational mission. The funds will be used for equipment modernization, communication systems, and the purchase of counter-drone systems.
Separately, Britain is helping Ukraine develop a new AI-powered drone interceptor to destroy Shahed drones. The project, called Octopus, is designed to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to counter mass enemy drone attacks.
Foreign troops in Europe
European countries have mentioned different figures regarding the size of a peacekeeping contingent in Ukraine. Numbers of 15,000, 20,000, and even hopes for 30,000 peacekeepers have been mentioned.
Regarding the governments of Ukraine’s partner states, no military plans have been officially announced yet, but the main part of the peacekeeping forces is expected to be sent by the UK and France. These countries would be responsible for the ground and air components.
Among the population in Europe, support for sending troops to Ukraine is highest in the UK, while globally it is highest in Canada. Meanwhile, the French and Germans oppose sending their soldiers to Ukraine even after the end of the war.
Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine insists on deploying a European military contingent closer to the front line in the event of a possible ceasefire.
Kyiv expects that a contingent of European countries will become a component of security guarantees.
