BERLIN: British Foreign Minister David Cameron said he opposes sending Western troops to Ukraine, even for training missions.
In an interview with the German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung published on Saturday, David Cameron highlighted the effectiveness of training missions carried out abroad, citing Britain’s contribution of training 60,000 Ukrainian soldiers in this manner. He cautioned against placing foreign troops in Ukraine, as it could make them targets for Russian forces.
Cameron’s remarks come in the wake of French President Emmanuel Macron’s statement on February 26, which hinted at the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine to assist in countering Russia’s invasion. While Britain has confirmed sending small units for medical training in Ukraine, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s spokesperson clarified that large-scale deployments are not envisioned.
West’s Military Support for Ukraine
Addressing Ukraine’s need for more advanced weaponry, Cameron expressed a willingness to collaborate with Berlin to overcome hesitations regarding the supply of German-made Taurus cruise missiles. However, Berlin has been reluctant to provide Taurus missiles to Ukraine due to concerns that their 500-kilometre range could be used to target locations deep within Russian territory.
Cameron refrained from directly addressing suggestions for Berlin to provide Taurus missiles to the UK, potentially freeing up British-French Storm Shadow cruise missiles for Ukraine. France and Britain have previously supplied Ukraine with Storm Shadow missiles, while the United States has contributed ATACMS missiles, each with varying ranges.
While French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu stated that there are no immediate plans to send combat troops, he mentioned the possibility of considering specific training or de-mining missions to support Ukraine.
