England budget of £200 million(US allocates $100 )million to prepare for possible deployment of troops in Ukraine
The British government announced that it has allocated 200 million pounds, equivalent to about $270 million, from the country’s main defense budget to prepare armed forces for a possible deployment in Ukraine.
The funding, announced yesterday by British Defence Secretary John Healy during his visit to Kiev, will be spent on upgrading vehicles, communications systems, anti-drone equipment and other protective equipment for British forces so that they are ready to be deployed if needed.
The move comes after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a “declaration of intent” in Paris last week, under which Britain and France will deploy troops as part of the Multinational Force in Ukraine (MNFU) to ensure security and monitor the ceasefire if a ceasefire and peace agreement are reached.
The British Ministry of Defense emphasized that this investment is a clear signal to allies and opponents that London intends to take the lead of this multinational force and fulfill its commitments to ensure lasting peace in Ukraine. The British Parliament will also have the right to vote before any actual deployment of troops.
The development comes as peace talks between Kiev and Moscow remain complicated, with Russia calling any NATO military presence in Ukraine unacceptable and dangerous.
