Starmer should send 'warships, combat brigade, and air squadrons' to Ukraine, says ex-armed forces minister

17 February 2025, 09:46 | Updated: 17 February 2025, 10:48

By Natasha Clark

@NatashaC

Britain should send two warships, a combat brigade and air squadron to Ukraine to show "UK leadership", a former armed forces minister has told LBC.

James Heappey welcomed Sir Keir Starmer's commitment to put British troops on the ground as part of a future peacekeeping mission.

It comes as the PM is heading to Paris this morning for an emergency summit on Ukraine's future - as the US and Russians head to Saudi Arabia for talks on a peace deal.

He's said he "doesn't take the decision lightly" to commit British troops overseas.

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But Mr Heappey said that Britain needed to spend far more on defence to make that work.

He told LBC: "Keir Starmer's apparent commitment to troops in Ukraine as part of the post war security force is really welcome. I think he should be looking at probably a combat brigade, a combat air squadron and a commitment of probably around two warships permanently deployed in the Black Sea. That would feel like a meaningful commitment by the UK and really demonstrate the UK's leadership in this new European security order."

And he urged the PM to keep the current troops we've committed to NATO where they are right now, with the same size of the army, navy and air force.

Ministers are conducting a strategic defence review into the future of our armed forces and what they might need in future.

Labour vowed to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence - but haven't put a timeline on when they'll do it.

But LBC's been told they're still not agreed on how much to spend, and what to spend it on.

And they're facing calls to go even higher too.

Mr Heappey added: "Whatever we want to do in Ukraine is going to require more and that means more defence spending.

"The number that is needed in order to be able to do everything that we need to do for NATO and take a leadership role in Ukraine and look after our interests globally is at least three and a half percent of GDP.

"And frankly, going to Paris and committing troops while still telling NATO that you're going to do everything that you promised them to do without making that commitment around defence spending is pretty, is pretty inconsistent and isn't going to work."