London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned that British forces could be deployed to Ukraine if US newly elected President Donald Trump reduces US defence funding for the war-torn nation.
On Monday, during an exclusive in-depth interview on the GB News, this spark warning came from the ex-president.
Boris Johnson insisted that supporting Ukraine is essential to prevent Russia from posing a threat to other European nations. He alerts that British forces may be deployed if Trump cuts Kyiv’s funding.
He warned that if Ukraine falls this could lead to “an even bigger threat on our borders, the borders of the European continent wherever the democracies butt up against Russia”.
Former prime minister stated that if Vladimir Putin gains the upper hand in the conflict then the UK may be forced to send force to defend Europe.
After Trump’s back to the White House this has raised alarms that the UK which has been Ukraine’s main ally since the Russian invasion may pull its support from the country.
Mr Trump has repeatedly said that he would bring an immediate end to the war if he returns to the WHite House, insisting that one of first targets is to negotiate a deal between Ukraine and Russia.
Jonhnson added more, “If Ukraine goes down, then we face an even bigger threat on our borders, the borders of the European continent wherever the democracies butt up against Russia”.
Boris Johnson pointed out the potential risks to the Baltic states and Georgia, warning that a Ukrainian defeat could have severe consequences across Europe.
He told the host during the interview “Let me give the financial argument for why that’s a good investment of public funds, why protecting democracy in Ukraine is actually a sensible investment”.
He warned that a lack of support for Ukraine would ultimately lead to much greater costs for Britain in the future.
He added, “What I’m saying is for people watching, thinking why are we supporting the Ukrainians? It’s because otherwise our collective security will be really degraded by a resurgent Russia threatening all sorts of parts of Europe, and we will then have to pay to send British troops to help defend Ukraine.”
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has considered the option of sending British troops to Ukraine for training purposes, but has avoided deploying forces in the conflict, a move that would mark a major aggravation.
However, already a small number of British medical staff are present in Ukraine, providing training and mentoring the country’s armed forces.