Britain is sending “self-defence” weapons to Ukraine amid mounting fears Russia will invade, MPs were told this evening.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said a “small number” of UK troops would be sent to train local soldiers, in response to the ongoing build-up of Kremlin forces on the Ukrainian border.
They will be deployed under Operation Orbital, the UK’s training mission to Ukraine which was established in 2015 following Russia’s illegal annexation of the Crimea.
Mr Wallace told the Commons: “In light of the increasingly threatening behaviour from Russia and in addition to our current support, the UK is providing a new security assistance package to increase Ukraine’s defensive capabilities.
“We have taken the decision to supply Ukraine with light anti-armour defensive weapons systems.
“A small number of UK personnel will provide early-stage training for a short period of time, within the framework of Operation Orbital, before returning to the United Kingdom.
“This security assistance package complements the training capabilities Ukraine already has and those that are also being provided by the UK and other allies in Europe and the United States.”
Russian forces have been accused of helping anti-government rebels in eastern Ukraine since the 2014 invasion of the Crimea.
An estimated 15,000 people have been killed in clashes in the region, including in the Donbas.
Western intelligence services estimate up to 100,000 Russian soldiers are massed on the frontier.
Negotiations to ease tensions have so far failed.
Moscow has accused NATO of expanding eastwards and called for the alliance to rule out membership by Ukraine and Georgia – and effectively expel a host of former Soviet Union members admitted after 1997.
Mr Wallace told MPs Ukraine “has every right to defend its borders and this new package of aid further enhances its ability to do so”.
The former Scots Guards officer stressed they would be “short-range and clearly defensive weapon capabilities – they are not strategic weapons and pose no threat to Russia; they are to use in self-defence”.
He warned that “any destabilising action by Russia in Ukraine would be a strategic mistake, it’d have significant consequences”.
NATO has threatened Vladimir Putin with economic consequences if he orders troops into Ukraine.
“There is a package of international sanctions ready to go that will make sure that the Russian government is punished if it crosses the line,” Mr Wallace said.
But he added: “No-one wants conflict, the Ukrainians are not seeking confrontation, despite the illegal annexation of their land – Crimea – and the occupation of Donbas.”
Shadow Defence Secretary John Healey pledged Labour ’s backing, hailing “unified UK political support for Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity, including Crimea, in the face of escalating Russian aggression”. https://get-latest.convrse.media/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mirror.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2Fbreaking-uk-sends-defensive-weapons-25972271&cre=bottom&cip=21&view=web
He added: “These are dangerous days for security in Europe, especially for the Ukrainian people.”
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/breaking-uk-sends-defensive-weapons-25972271
The former Scots Guards officer stressed they would be “short-range and clearly defensive weapon capabilities – they are not strategic weapons and pose no threat to Russia; they are to use in self-defence”.
WTF is the point of weapons if they pose no fucking threat? Might as well send over some ice cream.
He was probably using that phraseology to keep the paranoid putinazis from whining. Generally anyone defending themselves is a direct threat to the Putin regime. He expects everyone to just lay down their arms and beg to be tortured to death.
Too little too late but welcome all the same. It’s also pleasing to note that the official opposition: the Labour Party, has backed this initiative. The putler groveling wing of Labour; led by JeremIRA CorbLenin, would never have done this. Starmer seems made of better stuff.
I hope they are sending stuff not being advertised.
Assuming this story to be true; so far only the Mirror is covering it, it is hard to work out what these weapons might be.
Are they for air defence? That would be a major priority. If not, are they SSM’s like Javelins?
Or could it be some heavy artillery? That would be useful.
In all cases, full tech support would be required.
Blair, Schroder and Bush converted the free world into a corrupt mess. They are so guilty, making Satan look like an angel!
Rumor has it 😉 they brought in anti-aircraft weapons. The UK even flew around Germany so they wouldn’t get stopped. My God, has it really come down to that?! They are outright working for Putin.
Apparently the package includes AT4 84mm anti-armour systems. Highly portable and deadly against tanks, landing craft etc.
But to be effective they need to be supplied in huge numbers and have lots of tech support.
They would certainly increase putler casualties, but not quite by enough.
A rat like putler would bomb cities, as he did in Chechnya and Syria; where he used the incredibly evil “double tap” method to murder people in large buildings such as hospitals and apartment complexes.
Ukraine needs a state of the art air defence system and several squadrons of multi-purpose aircraft. Two squadrons of Typhoons would alter putler’s calculus.
I’m sure they need all that buy I’m not a General. I trust they are getting NATO intel and direct intel from the UK/US and the Baltic command. I expect Turkey to be helping too. If for no other reason than to put Putin on his back heels.
Generals I’ve heard mentioned Stingers for Ukraine and just the rumor of getting the Javelins backed up the toilet thieves so imagine what could happen if they got Stingers!
Generals have also said they are not ready nor prepared for an effective sea landing too. If boils down to most of them thinking this is just another pressure campaign rather than a serious expansion of the occupation or trying to get that land bridge,
As it stands, Ukrainians are practicing with their rolling pins which is fine by me since I’m trained at rolling pins too 😉
At least they agreed, now maybe the Americans will agree on some dire sanctions on the Putinka regime.
Why is everybody so afraid of RuSSia? We are militarily superior. Anglia and Southern Germany both fail to see the danger. Putin is Hitler. He will never back downe unless we start moving troops into Ukraine. My call is stronger than Nato as of today. Either we have principles or we allow Putin to finish us off.
I am very pleased that Britain has the balls to do this. Although it is (as advertised) not very much, it sends a clear message to mafia land, our allies and it also says “fuck you, Germanystan”.
Well there must be something to it if our British gents have to send in trainers. Now if only the Americans would send in Stingers and some trainers.
Now if we Americans only had a real president instead of this incoherent babbling make-believe baboon.