UK to spend 'well over £100m' putting boots on the ground in Ukraine, Defence Secretary says
The UK is ready to spend "well over £100m" putting UK boots on the ground in Ukraine if US president Donald Trump secures a peace deal with Russia, the Defence Secretary has said.
It is understood that the cost would cover the initial deployment of troops and aircraft and is a separate cost to the £4.5bn in military aid allocated to Kyiv.
It comes as John Healey announced plans for new powers to shoot down drones over UK bases during a speech at Mansion House.
UK boots on the ground in Ukraine
Mr Healey said the UK has been planning in detail, along with its Coalition of the Willing partners, over the last six months.
The Rawmarsh and Conisbrough MP said that peace is possible, and if President Trump can broker a peace deal, then the UK will be ready to help secure that peace for the long term.
"Keir Starmer has said, if necessary, he's willing to see UK boots on the ground, and I've accelerated already millions of pounds in that preparation for any possible deployment in the event of peace," he said.
"And I would expect the cost of that to be well over £100m."
Powers to shoot down drones
Also as part of his Mansion House speech, the Defence Secretary announced new powers to defend military bases, to be included in the Armed Forces Bill, pledging to "do what's needed to keep the British people safe".
He said that the legal framework needs to be changed to combat the new threats, such as drones.
"Our legal framework needs overhauling, and we are working on the new legal powers that we need to deal with the new activity and potential threats we've been seeing," he told BFBS Forces News.
"These will be legal powers that will allow us to bring down unidentified drones that are flying over UK military sites, and we will look to legislate at the first opportunity that we can."
It comes after several British air bases used by US forces, including RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, and RAF Feltwell, reported drone sightings in November last year, and drones violated European airspace numerous times in the last few months.
Mr Healey referenced the incursion by Russian drones into Polish airspace, which led to Polish F-16 fighter jets shooting down uncrewed aerial vehicles, in his speech.
"Last month, we saw 19 drones cross the Polish border," Mr Healey said at the Lord Mayor of London Defence and Security Lecture.
"Days later, Russian jets violated Estonia's airspace, while at the same time, Russia mounted a concerted campaign to subvert Moldova's election.
The new powers will only apply to military sites. However, the rules could be expanded to civilian locations such as airports, according to the BBC.
The current guidance for personnel is that unknown drones must have their GPS signal disrupted or be moved away from the area.
An unspecified drone can only be obliterated in extreme circumstances.
These threats can put the UK at risk, the MP said.
"Here at home, we continue to defend ourselves daily from threats from the seabed to cyberspace," Mr Healey said.
"We will always do what's needed to keep the British people safe, and as we speak, we are developing new powers – to be put through our Armed Forces Bill – to shoot down unidentified drones over UK military sites."
Europe on high alert after drone incursions
The UK deployed counter-drone experts to Denmark, equipped with advanced kit to detect, track, identify, and if needed, destroy hostile drones, in September, following suspicious activity.
Around 60 Royal Air Force personnel were involved in the investigation to find out what happened on the UK bases.
Washington and London have not confirmed who flew the uncrewed aerial vehicles over the British bases.
European leaders have backed plans to put up a drone 'wall' – a defensive system to protect the region.
Russia has sent more than 3,000 one-way attack drones to Ukraine in October so far, following 5,500 last month.
Moscow has denied any involvement in drones flying into airspace over Denmark, Poland, Estonia and Romania.
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