Sunak: No plans to send British troops to Ukraine.

U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Oct.

1 that there were no current plans to send British troops to Ukraine, even in a limited capacity as trainers. In comments to The Telegraph, Sunak walked back recent remarks from newly appointed Defense Secretary Grant Shapps, who expressed interest in the idea of sending British military trainers to Ukraine in an interview on Sept.

30. Sunak clarified that the Shapps' comments should be considered as pertaining for a long-term partnership with Ukraine. There could be trainers on the ground sometime in the future, Sunak said, but stressed that "there are no British soldiers that will be sent to fight in the current conflict."

In response to Shapps' suggestion, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev wrote on Telegram that any British troops on the ground in Ukraine would be considered legitimate targets. The U.K. has trained over 20,000 Ukrainian troops since the start of the full-scale invasion, according to the British Defense Ministry. At the start of 2023, the U.K. said it would train 20,000 more Ukrainian troops, making it "one of the largest training programs in the world," according to the Defense Ministry.

UK Energy Secretary Grant Shapps announced as new Defense Minister

U.K. Energy Secretary Grant Shapps is replacing Ben Wallace as Defense Minister, U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on Aug.

31.

News Editor

Nate Ostiller is a News Editor. He works on special projects as a researcher and writer for The Red Line Podcast, covering Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and focused primarily on digital misinformation, memory politics, and ethnic conflict. Nate has a Master's degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, and spent two years studying abroad at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine.

Originally from the USA, he is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia.