'We must step up to support Ukraine'- Swindon MP/former soldier
Ex-soldier Will Stone MP says 'deploying soldiers is not a decision I would ever like to have to take.'
MPs might soon find themselves voting on whether to send UK troops to Ukraine, or to provide military support to the war-torn country in other ways, as the country’s existence comes under increasing threat from Russia.
As news has broken that the United States has paused US military aid to Ukraine following President Trump and Vice President JD Vance haranguing President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, King Charles and several other leaders of European nations have re-iterated their countries’ support for the former Soviet Republic.
And Mr Starmer has said he might be willing to send UK troops to Ukraine for peace-keeping purposes.
Swindon North MP Will Stone could be asked to support that move – but in a previous life he could have been one of the soldiers boarding a plane for such a deployment.
He served five years as an infantryman in 1st Battalion, The Rifles – the modern-day iteration of The Wiltshire Regiment.
He said of the prospect of being asked to vote on sending troops to Ukraine: “As someone who served in the armed forces, I understand the ramifications of war and deploying soldiers is not a decision I would ever like to have to take.
“However, this is a critical moment for the UK and European security and as a leading power, the UK must step up.
“We must lead our allies and reach a diplomatic settlement in Ukraine that secures the Ukrainian people, not just in the short term but the long term too.”
Mr Stone added his support for Mr Starmer’s announced decision to increase spending on defence, cutting the foreign aid budget to pay for it- something that caused Anneliese Dodds to resign as Minister of State for Development and Women & Equalities when the cut from 0.5 per cent of gross national income to 0.3 per cent was decided.
Mr Stone said: ”The Prime Minister has shown this leadership and committed to increasing defence spending to 2.5 per cent by 2027.
“The last time spending reached 2.5 per cent was under the last Labour government – the Tories failed to get back to that number over 14 years.
“Labour governments have always stood up to keep Britain safe. Just as our predecessors stood with Churchill through the Second World War, created NATO and won the peace, we will provide the response this moment demands to keep us secure at home, strong abroad and our allies defended.”
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24th 2022.
Some sources estimate that more than 1 million people have been killed or wounded since the war began.