British troops should be sent to Ukraine under one strict condition, according to the former armed forces minister James Heappey.
The UK should consider sending troops to the war-ravaged country in order to give training and other support to the Ukrainian forces, currently fighting against Russia. However, any British troops sent to help in the war effort should be stationed away from the front line fighting.
Mr Heappey told Sky News that Britain needs to be more prepared for the outbreak of war by creating a large ‘strategic reserve’ force of thousands of veterans, in case they are needed to serve again in a national crisis.
He made the call for changes as the threat of World War 3 breaking out have ramped up in recent months.
The outgoing MP for Wells in Somerset called for an immediate increase in defence spending, in order for the UK to be able to defend its airspace from missiles. He also called for the funding to eventually to increase the size of the military to its former glory.
In the interview with Sky News, he empahasised how important it was for Britain and Europe to support Ukraine, to maintain security. He also advocated for the UK and its allies to send more kinds of weapons to Kyiv.
He said: “I think we’ve got to shake the tree again right now for what more we could give from our current inventories. What is the next capability threshold that we could go to beyond Storm Shadow [cruise missiles]?
Following French prime minister Emmanuel Macron’s suggestion that Western nations may need to send troops to Ukraine, Mr Heappey voiced support for the plan, saying: “Some of the things that Macron has suggested recently, I think are things that really do deserve consideration.”
But he voiced caution, in terms of sending soldiers to fight. He added: “I think you’ve got to be careful about how you do it. I think definitely nowhere near a combat zone. I think you’ve got to be very, very careful not to make it into a Russo-NATO war.
“But I do think it is worth exploring what in the sort of deeper – in the depth of Ukraine – the donor community could do.”
He also added that it was ‘worth considering’ deploying British troops in a training mission. Asked about the strategic reserve, a MOD spokesperson told Sky News: “Our armed forces reserves are an essential and extremely valued part of defence and the contribution that they make to resilience and our ability to call on additional personnel when required are vital.
“We regularly update our records to ensure that we can call on ex-regular personnel should they be required to serve and have modernised our processes.”
