At a statement given in Parliament given by the Defence Secretary John Healey MP, Stuart Anderson MP raised serious concerns about the government’s plan to deploy British Forces to Ukraine.
A joint declaration for the “multi-national force” to help uphold any peace agreement and prevent another invasion by Russia, was signed by Sir Keir Starmer, with France and Ukraine, on Tuesday 6th January 2026.
The deal includes Britain and France setting up “military hubs” in Ukraine to facilitate troop deployments if needed, and assist with the country’s reconstruction efforts.
The plan has secured the support of the United States, which has offered a “backstop” to support the deployed troops in the event of a future war with Russia.
Months of planning by the so-called Coalition of the Willing over security guarantees in Europe has led to the Declaration of Paris being signed.
At the same time, talks continue to end the war that has been raging since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Stuart has warned that the UK’s current spending levels mean that “we do not have the resources” to sustain a long-term deployment, and that he wants to see “increasing numbers in the Armed Forces.”
Stuart, who has served in military deployments around the world, has said that there are vital questions the government is yet to answer.
This includes the numbers, the rules of engagement, the scope of the mission, the funding arrangements, and the potential involvement of the United States.
In particular, Stuart has said that he does not believe the UK has “learnt enough lessons” from previous experiences in withdrawing troops from deployments around the world.
Stuart has also expressed fears that a global conflict could ensue in Ukraine, leaving British troops stranded on the frontline.
Further details on the exact scale of the deployment have not yet been disclosed.
In Parliament, Stuart said:
“I welcome the Secretary of State coming to the House to update us on the commitment made by the Prime Minister last night, but I put on record my serious concerns about the commitment to put British troops on the ground. Over the past 30 years, we have not learned enough lessons on how to pull troops out of locations from some of the deployments that I have been on. We could be setting up UK forces for a long-term sustained conflict or peacekeeping operation over in Russia, where we do not have the resources to sustain it. We need to look at funding, troop deployments and increasing numbers in the armed forces. The outgoing Supreme Allied Commander Europe at NATO believes that a full-scale global conflict will come between one and three years after the cessation of fighting in Ukraine. If that is the case, as many others believe it to be, our troops will be right on the frontline, and we will go from peacekeeping to full-scale war because we have put ourselves in there.”
After the debate, Stuart added:
“The deployment of British troops to Ukraine is one of the most serious decisions we can take as a country. The UK’s commitment to sustain a genuine presence in Ukraine has serious implications for British troops and resources. Yet, there are vital questions that the government is yet to answer on the numbers, rules of engagement, scope of the mission, the funding arrangements, and the potential involvement of the United States. I am greatly worried that the UK’s current defence funding is not sufficient to deliver this agreement without a major impact on our other global commitments. So, I believe that immediate consideration must be given to bringing forward future defence funding commitments, as I have previously and consistently requested.”
