UK rules out deploying troops to Ukraine

The British Foreign Minister, David Lammy, has ruled out sending U.K. troops to Ukraine, despite reports suggesting that London and Paris were considering such a deployment.

“We stand ready and continue to support the Ukrainians with training, particularly, but there has been a longstanding position that we are not committing U.K. troops to the theater of action,” David Lammy said on Tuesday morning, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.

“This is certainly the U.K. position and remains the U.K. position at this time.”

Tensions with Russia have escalated of late after the U.S. allowed Ukraine to use Western-made missiles to strike targets in Russia. Moscow’s forces are also advancing in the east, piling both military and political pressure on the Ukrainian government.

On Monday the French newspaper Le Monde triggered speculation that the British and French governments were considering deploying forces to Ukraine when it claimed, citing unnamed sources, that talks about the possibility had been “reactivated.”

Lammy, speaking to reporters at a G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Italy, also appeared to rule out allowing British military contractors to operate in Ukraine.

“We are not committing U.K. troops on the ground to Ukraine, but we continue to support Ukraine with training and military assistance, and we have been absolutely clear that we will continue to do that for as long as is required and is needed,” he said in response to a question about contractors.

A spokesperson for Keir Starmer, the British prime minister, mirrored Lammy’s position, saying the government had “no plans” to send troops to Ukraine.

News.Az