Britain is grandstanding again about its supposed ability to support Ukraine militarily, while even the most casual of observers can recognise that the Army lacks the means.
Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Sunday he is “ready and willing” to put British troops “in harm’s way” on the ground in Ukraine. He added that this would depend on whether such action was “necessary.” Instead, he should consider whether it would even be possible.
On the very same day Starmer issued his declaration, a former head of the Army warned that the Labour administration risks being consigned to the “dustbin of history” because of its neglect of the armed forces. Responding to suggestions BritainBritian could join an ‘army of Europe,’ Lord Dannatt said:
Our military is so run-down at the present moment, numerically, and as far as capability and equipment is concerned, it would potentially be quite embarrassing.
British involvement in a European ‘peacekeeping force’ would also have stark implications for Labour’s laughable commitment to upholding Brexit.
Veterans minister and former marine Alistair Carns also suggested in December that the Army would be destroyed in “six months to a year” if it had to fight Russia.
Dire as it is, Carns’ outlook actually appears fairly optimistic, given simulations which show that the Army as a whole would run out of ammunition in just eight days if it went into combat. We at europeanconservative.com have long covered these failings, including a former First Sea Lord’s description of the Navy as “pathetically weak,” and assessments of air defences as “insufficient.”
Reform MP Rupert Lowe added today that “we can’t even protect our own borders,” never mind expect to successfully send troops elsewhere.
Our hollowed out Armed Forces deserve so much better.
It is not clear whether the deployment of troops in Ukraine would be voted on in Parliament, supposedly the home of British democracy. Probably, it would not.
