British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has stated that there are currently no immediate plans to send military instructors to Ukraine, contradicting earlier comments made by his defence minister. The defence minister, Grant Shapps, had suggested that British troops could carry out training in Ukraine. However, Sunak clarified that any potential training in Ukraine would be for the long term and not the present. The aim is to reduce the risk of a direct conflict with Russia, as Britain and its allies have opted to avoid establishing a formal military presence in Ukraine.
The defence minister’s comments were published in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, where he expressed his desire to deploy military instructors to Ukraine. He also mentioned the possibility of training Ukrainian armed forces in Britain or other Western countries. However, Sunak later emphasized that no British soldiers would be sent to fight in the ongoing conflict. He explained that the defence secretary’s remarks were referring to potential future training opportunities in Ukraine.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev responded to the remarks by stating that any British soldiers training Ukrainian troops in Ukraine would be considered legitimate targets for Russian forces. Over the past year, Britain has provided five-week military training courses to approximately 20,000 Ukrainians, with plans to continue training a similar number in the future.
Shapps, in his interview with The Sunday Telegraph, mentioned the possibility of offering military training within Ukraine. He had discussed this idea with British military chiefs on Friday. Specifically, he highlighted the opportunity to conduct training in the western part of the country. Additionally, Shapps expressed hope that British defence companies, including BAE Systems, would proceed with plans to establish arms factories in Ukraine.
During his speech at the Conservative Party’s annual conference in Manchester, Shapps did not address his earlier comments. However, he stressed the significance of supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia, acknowledging the high toll on both weapons and lives. Shapps also announced that hundreds of British peacekeeping troops would be deployed to Kosovo in response to the recent violence in the northern part of the country.
In response to a request from the Polish government ahead of their national elections, British fighter jets were dispatched to Poland to assist in safeguarding NATO’s eastern flank, according to Shapps.
Reporting by Andrew MacAskill, David Milliken, and Farouq Suleiman; Editing by Daniel Wallis, Kirsten Donovan, and Jane Merriman
Credit: The Star : News Feed
