U.Okay. may prepare troopers in Ukraine : U.Okay. Defence Secretary

Britain’s Defence Secretary John Healey visits St Sophia Cathedral throughout a go to to Kyiv on December 18, 2024 in Kyiv, Ukraine.
| Picture Credit score: Getty Photos

The U.Okay. may ship troops to Ukraine to coach Ukrainians, U.Okay. Defence Secretary John Healey has advised. The U.Okay. has solely a group of medical personnel inside Ukraine and has been coaching Ukrainian troops inside Britain since 2022. The suggestion comes as European nations search to strengthen Kyiv’s hand earlier than it any negotiations to finish the struggle with Russia.

The U.Okay. would want to make the coaching of troops “a greater match” for what Ukraine wanted, Mr. Healey mentioned en path to Kyiv on Wednesday (December 18, 2024), as per a report in The Instances.

“We are going to look wherever we are able to to answer what the Ukrainians need. They’re those preventing,” he mentioned when requested about whether or not this meant British troops coaching Ukrainians in Ukraine, The Instances reported.

Western nations have aided Ukraine by way of financing, weaponry and intelligence however averted sending troops to the nation with the intention to not develop into direct events to the battle with Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Mr. Healey’s remarks got here on a day when U.Okay. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump spoke on the telephone. Mr. Starmer instructed Mr. Trump that allies would want to face collectively to assist Ukraine and guarantee it’s “within the strongest attainable place” , Downing Avenue mentioned.

A number of European nations and the pinnacle of the North Atlantic Treaty Group (NATO) try to make sure that Kyiv is strengthened earlier than any negotiations with Moscow.

NATO Secretary Basic Mark Rutte reiterated this message on Wednesday (December 18, 2024) in Brussels throughout a gathering with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and another European leaders, who had gathered within the Belgian capital for a European Union summit stage assembly with Mr. Zelenksyy on Thursday (December 19, 2024).

Mr. Trump has advised the U.S. may pull out of NATO and curb funding for Ukraine. The President Elect has additionally expressed a passion had referred to as for an “quick ceasefire” after assembly Mr. Zelenskyy in Paris on December 8.