The British government has announced that it has allocated £200 million to begin preparing the UK Armed Forces for deployment to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force in the event of an armistice between Kyiv and Moscow.
Following the signing of a declaration of intent by the British and French governments with Ukraine in Paris this week, the Ministry of Defence said on Friday that £200 million has been allocated to help British troops be “ready to deploy if required” to Ukraine.
Additionally, the funds will go toward upgrading military vehicles and communication systems, as well as purchasing new counter-drone protection systems for the British arm of the Multinational Force for Ukraine (MNFU).
The MoD said that the funds demonstrate “a clear signal to allies and adversaries of the UK’s intent to lead the MNFU, fulfil our promises to secure the peace in Ukraine and deliver a ‘new deal’ for European security to make Britain safer.”
Speaking during a visit to Kyiv, Defence Secretary John Healey MP said: “As we approach the fifth year of Putin’s full-scale invasion, the Ukrainians continue to fight with huge courage – civilians and military alike.
“We are surging investment into our preparations following the Prime Minister’s announcement this week, ensuring that Britain’s Armed Forces are ready to deploy, and lead, the Multinational Force Ukraine, because a secure Ukraine means a secure UK.
“As we look towards a potential peace deal, we continue to step up for Ukraine in the fight today – strengthening its air defences while backing British industry, jobs and innovation at home.”
The announced investments, which will be drawn from Britain’s core defence budget, come amid concern about the UK and other European NATO allies’ ability to project military power internationally after years of chronic underinvestment and low recruitment. Indeed, last year, the number of active troops in Britain fell to just 73,000, the lowest since the Napoleonic Era.
It remains to be seen how many troops the UK will be willing to deploy to Ukraine if a peace agreement is reached between Kyiv and Moscow. However, reports have emerged about the potential deployment size of Britain’s main partner in the planned operation, France.
Following a meeting in Paris this week between President Emmanuel Macron and the heads of the major parties in the National Assembly, it was leaked that the French government is planning to send around 6,000 troops to the Eastern European country, Le Figaro reported.
Although President Macron held the meeting under a confidentiality condition, the parliamentary leader of the far-left La France Insoumise (France in Rebellion/LFI) party, Mathilde Panot, briefed the Paris press on the planned number of soldiers. The leftist MP said that she “does not agree that French soldiers could be deployed under these conditions.”
The declaration of intent to deploy “coalition of the willing” troops to Ukraine was signed this week, with the assumption that the United States will provide backstop insurance, meaning that the American military would come to the aid of the British and French should they come under attack from Russia.
Meanwhile, according to Ukrainian President Zelensky, a bilateral agreement with the United States concerning security guarantees for Ukraine “is now essentially ready for finalization at the highest level with the President of the United States.”
On top of a security agreement, Kyiv and Washington are also working on a “prosperity” deal that would see around $800 billion in loans, investments, and grants issued to jump-start the Ukrainian economy and rebuild the war-torn country. London’s Daily Telegraph reported that the deal is expected to be signed later this month at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
With security and economic agreements in place, the likely necessary territorial concessions needed for a final deal with Russia may be easier to swallow for the Zelensky government, which has so far refused to budge on the matter.