UK Defence Secretary John Healey says he wants to become the first holder of the post to deploy British troops to Ukraine. He believes this would signal the end of the war.
British Troops to Ukraine
Healey wrote about his intentions in a column for The Telegraph. He stated that 2026 should become the year the Russia–Ukraine war ends. He said he plans to be the first UK defence secretary to send British troops to Ukraine after a peace agreement.
“It will mean we have negotiated peace in Ukraine. And a secure Europe needs a strong, sovereign Ukraine,” Healey emphasized.
Coalition of the Willing
The British government, together with its allies, is working to form a “Coalition of the Willing” – a multinational peacekeeping force. It would guarantee Ukraine’s security to prevent Russia from attacking again after the war ends. In January in Paris, the UK Prime Minister signed a corresponding declaration with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Emmanuel Macron.
The coalition includes 27 state leaders, the European Union, NATO, as well as representatives of Turkey, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. President Zelenskyy stated that as of January 6, substantial coalition documents had already been prepared. Namely, a joint declaration of all coalition countries and a trilateral declaration by France, the UK, and Ukraine. According to him, this signals how seriously both Europe and the entire Coalition of the Willing are prepared to work for real security.
Support for Ukraine
Healey also announced the allocation of £200 million to prepare the British Armed Forces for possible participation in a multinational mission. Britain will direct funds toward equipment modernization, communications systems, and the procurement of counter-drone systems.
The United Kingdom is also assisting Ukraine in developing a drone interceptor designed to destroy Russian UAVs using artificial intelligence. The project, called Octopus, aims to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to counter Russia’s large-scale drone attacks.
Boris Johnson Calls for Immediate Deployment
Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated that Britain and its allies should deploy peacekeeping troops to Ukraine immediately. He made the remarks on February 21 in an interview with BBC presenter Laura Kuenssberg.
According to Johnson, since Britain is considering deploying troops after Putin agrees to a ceasefire, it would make sense to do so now. He argued that there is no logical reason not to send peacekeeping ground forces to Ukraine.
“It’s about whether Ukraine is a free country or not. If it’s a vassal state of Russia, which is what Putin wants, then obviously it’s up to Putin to decide who comes to his country. If it’s not, then it’s up to the Ukrainians,” Johnson said.
Earlier, The Ukrainian Review reported that France would provide Ukraine with a €71 million grant. Part of which will finance the energy sector. The funding will help modernize energy infrastructure and support the resilience of regional energy systems.
