DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Britain cannot defend Europe on the cheap By DAILY MAIL COMMENT Published: 01:02 GMT, 18 February 2025 | Updated: 01:04 GMT, 18 February 2025 e-mail View comments Sir Keir Starmer 's apparent readiness to put British 'boots on the ground' in Ukraine will have sent a shiver down many spines. With the abject failures of Iraq and Afghanistan still fresh in the memory, the public will take some persuading that military intervention in another foreign war would be judicious. At the very least they will want to know in detail how extensive any campaign would be and what its precise objectives were.
Throwing thousands of troops into a deadly conflict zone without a clear strategy for getting them out again would be an appalling error. Downing Street speaks of the British Army possibly playing a peacekeeping role if a ceasefire deal can be worked out between Ukraine and Russia . But we know from bitter experience – in Ireland, Lebanon, Basra and elsewhere – that peacekeepers can quickly become targets.
The risks to our young servicemen and women shouldn't be underestimated. To be fair to the Prime Minister, he is trying to convince a sceptical President Donald Trump that Europe is serious about funding its own defence. With some justification, the US believes since the Cold War most European countries have shredded their military budgets, leaving Uncle Sam to pick up the tab.
Sir Keir Starmer 's apparent readiness to put British 'boots on the ground' in Ukrain.