Grant Shapps, the U.K.’s Secretary of State for Defense, is hatching big plans to escalate the U.K.’s direct involvement in Ukraine. Shapps told the Telegraph that he had held talks with Army leaders about moving “more training and production” of military equipment into Ukraine. He also called on more British defense firms to set up factories in Ukraine. Shapps also revealed that he has talked to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian President, about how Britain’s Royal Navy could play a role in defending commercial vessels from Russian attacks in the Black Sea. The Telegraph writes that both moves would mark a significant escalation in the U.K.’s involvement in defending Ukraine.
Until now, the British training of Ukrainian troops has been carried out in Britain, mainly at the Salisbury Plain army base. However, following a briefing with Gen. Sir Patrick Sanders, the Chief of the (Army) General Staff, and other senior personnel at Salisbury Plain, Shapps said: “I was talking today about eventually getting the training brought closer and actually into Ukraine as well” [emphasis added].
Shapps added: “Particularly in the west of the country, I think the opportunity now is to bring more things ‘in country,’ and not just training but also we’re seeing BAE, for example, move into manufacturing in country, for example. I’m keen to see other British companies do their bit as well by doing the same thing. So I think there will be a move to get more training and production in the country.”
