by Bella Zielinski*
Following the emergency defence meeting in Paris on Monday, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stressed the importance of both US and EU support in order to deter further encroachment from Russia.
Starmer called on the EU to “step up” in its spending and capabilities to provide to Ukraine, while also underscoring the need for a US “backstop” as the only way to “effectively deter Russia from attacking Ukraine again.”
The Prime Minister emphasized that “at stake is not just the future of Ukraine, it is an existential question for Europe as a whole,” calling the current situation a “once in a generation moment of collective security of our continent.”
Prior to the meeting, Starmer said he is “ready and willing” to put British troops on the ground in Ukraine, contrasting the apprehension of other countries to offer its own soldiers.
This marked the first time the PM explicitly stated that he would be willing to commit troops toward Ukraine’s peace mission. In contrast, the US and Poland directly oppose this directive for their own militaries.
Starmer stressed that this statement does not come rashly, however, in an opinion piece for the Daily Telegraph published on Sunday night.
“I do not say that lightly,” he wrote. “I feel very deeply the responsibility that comes with potentially putting British servicemen and women in harm’s way.”
Multiple government officials stressed that while important, Britain may not have the potential to offer the desired support.
Lord Richard Dannatt, former head of the British Army, told the BBC that up to 40,000 troops would be needed for peacekeeping missions, a goal that would be difficult as Dannatt reports the military is “so run down at the present moment.”
In 2024, the Labour Party put forth an increase in the defence budget from 2.3% to 2.5% of its GDP. There has been no indication of the timeframe of this increase.
The UK remains well above the 2% minimum for members of NATO, but still below both the 3% NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and 5% that US President Trump suggested to properly combat impending threats.
Lord Dannatt also reported that this increase would be “nowhere near enough” and could only “fill the potholes” of current underspending.
*first published in euractiv.com
By: N. Peter Kramer
