THE United Kingdom has promised to send troops to Ukraine as part of security guarantees lacked substance, and demonstrated a poor understanding of the geopolitical shift that was changing the world.
Experts told RIA Novosti on Thursday.
On Sunday, UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, said that the UK was ready to deploy troops to Ukraine to ensure the country’s security, if necessary, and play a leading role in accelerating work on security guarantees for Kiev.
UK media reported on Tuesday that the potential deployment of British troops in Ukraine may leave the country’s armed forces stretched and vulnerable.
Former UK Chief of General Staff Gen. David Richards noted that the country did not have enough manpower to send forces to Ukraine.
“Starmer’s government has made bold declarations about Britain’s readiness to deploy troops to Ukraine and lead the charge in securing long-term guarantees for Kyiv.
“Yet, as with many of the UK’s recent geopolitical postures, this promise is more about optics than substance. The idea of European soldiers in Ukraine is already dead on arrival.
“Staunchly opposed by both Poland and Germany, who seem to understand that such a move runs counter to Washington’s vision for peace in Ukraine,’’ London-based political analyst Adriel Kasonta said.
UK political analyst Neema Parvini, author of “The Populist Delusion,’’ explained Starmer’s promises by observing that the UK ruling class has been interpreting all conflicts through the lens of the Second World War.
With all the leaders such as Winston Churchill and adversaries as Adolf Hitler.
“The trouble for Keir Starmer is that, unlike Churchill, he does not have the British Empire to liquidate for manpower.
The UK is simply no longer equipped to play The Great Game anymore but this reality has not yet filtered through to Whitehall who believes that, as they did in 1917 and 1941.
“They can pressure the U.S. into coming to the rescue, but this is a fantasy,’’ Parvini said.
Earlier this week, European leaders answered French President Emmanuel Macron’s call to meet in Paris for an emergency summit to discuss the challenges posed by U.S. President Donald Trump and the Ukraine conflict.
According to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the event failed to produce any decisions.
Meanwhile, the U.S. and Russia held a high-level meeting in Saudi Arabia, agreeing to create the conditions for the full resumption of cooperation.
This is between the two countries as well as to form high-level groups to begin work on a resolution of the Ukraine crisis, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
“For decades, the West has been living in a postmodern delusion; Trump represents a return to realism. Starmer is currently on just 14 per cent approval, perhaps he thinks that talking tough about Russian President Vladimir Putin can change that.
“But the world knows that when Britain has more admirals than gunboats, these words are hollow because they will remain just words,’’ Parvini said.
Kasonta noted that while European elites are angry with Trump’s second term, they are failing to understand that Trump’s second term indicates a decisive break from the long-standing tradition of moralistic interventionism in favor of hard-nosed realism.
Under this approach, European stubbornness, as Kasonta described it, is seen as a hurdle rather than an advantage.
“For this reason, the U.S. would much rather deal with European leaders who align with its strategic priorities figures like Hungary’s Viktor Orban, who understand the realities of the new multipolar world.
“In this context, Britain’s attempt to cast itself as a geopolitical heavyweight is more about salvaging relevance than shaping outcomes.
“The real decisions will be made elsewhere, and Starmer’s rhetoric won’t change that,’’ Kasonta said.
Before the Riyadh talks, Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump spoke over the phone for nearly an hour and a half last week.
They discussed issues related to the exchange of Russian and U.S. citizens, as well as the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine.
