UK troops prepare for potential Ukraine deployment, report says
UK troops in training (Photo: REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi)
The United Kingdom is stepping up preparations for a possible deployment of a deterrent force to Ukraine, likely to happen only if the current U.S. push to end the Russo–Ukrainian war succeeds, UK news outlet The I Paper reported on Dec. 17.
According to the report, the process includes buying equipment and finalizing plans for how and where troops would be sent.
“Officials are confident that a peace deal appears closer than ever before as U.S. negotiators prepare to hand a Ukraine-backed proposal to the Kremlin,” the article said, although nothing Russian officials have said to date suggests that Moscow is willing to agree to a ceasefire.
At a recent Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting, UK Defence Secretary John Healey said that London is “raising readiness levels” so it can deploy forces if a peace agreement is reached. Their presence, he said, would help deter further Russian aggression.
“I continue to direct funding to prepare our UK troops and Armed Forces so that we are ready to deploy when peace comes with troops on the ground and jets in the air,” Healey said.
According to The I Paper, the Ministry of Defence is working out a timeline for when units must be ready and is finalizing embarkation and disembarkation plans. The equipment required will depend on the peacekeepers’ role but could range from drone systems and electronic warfare gear to vehicles and body armor.
One military insider suggested troops would likely deploy directly from the UK rather than rotate from other exercises or missions abroad, though talks on that issue are ongoing. Another source said there is a “buzz” around planning for a deployment should a peace deal be struck.
“The coalition of the willing have been working on these plans for a long time,” the report quotes one of the sources.
“The pace is increasing and plans are firming up, now that there is a genuine prospect of a ceasefire.”
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