The UK is expected to bolster its offer to NATO with a
major military deployment to strengthen Europe’s borders in the
face of rising Russian aggression.
UK officials will be deployed to Brussels to finalise the details
of the offer with NATO next week, and ministers will
discuss the military options on Monday.
It comes after the Prime Minister asked defence and security
chiefs to step up defensive efforts in Europe during a high level
intelligence briefing on the situation in Ukraine this week.
Prime Minister said:
“This package would send a clear message to the Kremlin – we will
not tolerate their destabilising activity, and we will always
stand with our NATO allies in the face Russian hostility.
“If President Putin chooses a path of bloodshed and destruction,
it will be a tragedy for Europe. Ukraine must be free to choose
its own future.
“I have ordered our Armed Forces to prepare to deploy across
Europe next week, ensuring we are able to support our NATO allies
on land, at sea and in the air.”
The possible deployment will reinforce NATO’s
defences and underpin the UK’s support for Nordic and Baltic
partners.
In conversations with partners in recent weeks, the Prime
Minister has emphasised that without a successful combination of
deterrence and diplomacy, thousands of lives will be lost in both
Russia and Ukraine.
The Prime Minister is expected to speak to President Putin and
travel to the region early this week to relay that message in
person. A second trip to meet NATO member counterparts is
being planned for early next month.
Following the Prime Minister’s statement to the House of Commons
last week, making clear the better relations with Russia was
possible, the Prime Minister directed the Foreign and Defence
Secretaries to prepare to go to Moscow for talks with their
counterparts in the coming days. They will be asked to improve
relationships with President Putin’s Government and encourage
de-escalation.
The Prime Minister remains seized of the importance of pursuing
diplomatic efforts in tandem, and last week joined a call with
President Biden, European leaders and NATO Secretary General
Stoltenberg. In that call leaders agreed on the importance of
international unity in the face of growing Russian hostility and
stressed that diplomatic discussions with Russia remain the first
priority.
The Defence Secretary is also expected to travel to meet with
Allies this week in Hungary, Slovenia, and Croatia on behalf
of the Prime Minister.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has also asked the Chief of Defence
Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, to attend
Cabinet this Tuesday to brief Ministers on the situation in
Ukraine.
The UK already has more than 900 British military personnel
based in Estonia, more than 100 in Ukraine as part
of Operation Orbital, and a Light Cavalry Squadron
of around 150 people, is deployed to Poland.
Op Orbital has trained 22,000 Ukrainian troops since 2015, and
further military trainers were sent to the country earlier this
month to support the training of Ukrainian forces to use 2000
missiles sent from the UK.
Meanwhile, HMS Prince of Wales is in the High North leading
the NATO’s Maritime High Readiness Force. It is on standby to
move within hours should tensions rise further.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
- The Defence Secretary has been in
The Hague, Berlin and Brussels this week to discuss the situation
in Ukraine.
- The PM discussed diplomatic tactics
and sanctions options with the Foreign Secretary last week,
before updating Cabinet on the situation and the Government’s
next steps.
- The Foreign Office is expected
announce a toughening of its sanctions regime in Parliament on
Monday so the UK can target Russia’s strategic and financial
interests.
- The UK will also join discussions
at the UNSC in New York on Monday in a bid to apply further
pressure on Russia to thrash out its concerns among diplomats
rather than through military means. The UK will use the meeting
to expose Russia’s flawed narrative and present the facts.
- The UK will also be one of the
major contributors to Exercise Cold Response in the High North at
the end of February.
