UK will not send troops to Ukraine, but will assist Ukraine's Forces in other ways - The Times

According to the media outlet, the UK is likely to abandon plans to send thousands of troops to Ukraine due to the high risks associated with such an operation, especially considering the potential for the conflict to expand if Ukraine's ceasefire with Russia is disrupted.

Citing anonymous sources, the outlet reports that the UK and Europe will no longer have ground forces to protect key cities, ports, and nuclear power plants in order to maintain peace.

The West, by changing its approach to military aid for Ukraine, is attempting to push Moscow to shift its red lines in pursuit of a peace agreement.

Instead, as The Times writes, the focus of security commitments to Ukraine will shift towards rebuilding and rearming the Ukrainian army, with an emphasis on air and sea defense.

The UK and France may send military instructors to western Ukraine as a form of support. Although these instructors will not be stationed near the front lines or act as a deterrent force, their primary focus will be on rebuilding and rearming the Ukrainian army.

The media outlet notes that these instructors will be supported by aviation that will protect Ukraine's airspace and provide air cover for Western troops on the ground.

According to the most likely plans being considered, Türkiye will play its role at sea.

Arms supplies to Ukraine

According to the media outlet, weapons from the UK and Europe will continue to arrive, so Ukraine will have a strong position if Russia violates the terms of any agreement.

However, as it is known, nothing is ruled out at this point, and the UK Ministry of Defence clearly states that they are not ready to abandon plans to send their troops to the country.

Deployment of a military contingent to Ukraine

At the beginning of April, a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing took place in Kyiv — an alliance of countries that promised to assist Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.

The creation of the coalition was announced by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on March 2, 2025.

As a result of the Coalition of the Willing, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that French and British troops would be among the first to arrive in Ukraine. According to the president, these countries are key representatives of the European continent.

On April 5, President Zelenskyy commented on the foreign contingent in Ukraine and spoke of "significant progress" on this issue.

As of April 10, it was known that approximately six countries had agreed to send their soldiers to Ukraine.