British troops may have to be deployed in Ukraine if Donald Trump cuts Kyiv’s funding, Boris Johnson has warned.
The former prime minister has said that if Vladimir Putin gains the upper hand in the conflict, the UK may have to deploy troops to defend Europe.
Mr Trump’s return to the White House has raised fears that the US, which has been Ukraine’s biggest backer since Russia’s invasion, could withdraw support from the country.
Mr Trump has repeatedly promised an immediate end to the war on his return to the White House, saying one of his first acts will be to negotiate a deal between the two sides.
But, amid fears this would see Ukraine cede significant ground, which Putin would see as a win for his forces, Mr Johnson said: “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.”
He told GB News that the knock-on effects would be felt in the Baltic states and the South China Sea, adding: “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 discussed sending British forces to Ukraine to train the country’s soldiers, but has avoided deploying troops in the conflict in what would be a significant escalation.
There is already a small number of British medical personnel in Ukraine, delivering training and mentoring to the country’s armed forces.
Defence secretary John Healey struck a defiant tone after Mr Trump’s re-election, saying that he expects the Americans to stand with Ukraine for “as long as it takes to prevail over (Vladimir) Putin’s invasion".
Mr Healey said he “recognises that countries get security through strength, just as alliances like Nato do”. And Mr Healey stressed that America’s determination to support Ukraine in its campaign against Russia is “just as strong” as before voters in the US went to the polls.
His comments came after a report in The Washington Post claimed Mr Trump phoned Putin the day after the election and warned him not to escalate the war in Ukraine. Moscow has denied the call took place.
Last year, Mr Trump told Fox News that he would tell Mr Zelensky “No more, you gotta make a deal” in order to broker peace between the two countries.
