General Sir Nick Carter, the former head of the British armed forces, has indicated that the UK lacks the military resources necessary to send a peacekeeping force to Ukraine, casting doubt on recent statements made by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. During an appearance on BBC’s Question Time, Sir Nick highlighted the deficiencies in the current state of the UK’s military capability, following Sir Keir’s comments about being prepared to deploy British servicemen and women into potentially dangerous situations to assist in safeguarding Ukraine.

Sir Nick elaborated on the degradation of the British military, stating, “We are not equipped or manned to be able to do that at the moment.” His remarks underscore the depletion of the armed forces attributed to decades of neglect and the significant reduction of military assets, as the UK has supplied a considerable number of tanks and artillery pieces to Ukraine in support of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s efforts.

The general further warned that the UK’s military is insufficiently prepared to defend itself against the kind of air assault that Ukraine has endured over the past three years. He asserted that while the UK might deploy a naval destroyer in the Thames to protect parts of London, the capabilities to counteract an extensive aerial bombardment are lacking. “Whether we like it or not that means we are going to have to start protecting ourselves,” he stated. He described Britain as “massively vulnerable at the moment” due to its reliance on undersea cables for data and significant portions of gas and food supplies being transported by sea.

Responding to Labour’s commitment to increase defence spending to 2.5 percent of GDP by the end of the parliamentary term, Sir Nick stressed that immediate investment in the military is necessary. “We are going to have to spend more money if we seriously believe that Putin is a threat to us in the future,” he remarked.

As the dialogue around military involvement intensifies, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is reportedly scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington next week to discuss a peacekeeping plan for Ukraine, which may involve fewer than 30,000 European troops to oversee any potential ceasefire agreement with Russia. Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer plans to present a strategy in the White House that includes an Anglo-French reassurance force composed of European military personnel positioned away from the frontlines.

The proposed peacekeeping initiative would encompass a combination of technical monitoring operations, utilizing intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance aircraft, drones, and satellites to provide a comprehensive view of the situation on the ground. However, this force would also be expected to be equipped with sufficient firepower to deter and potentially respond to any Russian aggression. Despite these extensive plans, the military presence falls short of the 200,000 troops that President Zelenskyy has previously advocated for in the event of a ceasefire.

Source: Noah Wire Services