Britain’s shrunken military can be utterly swallowed up if the UK had to assist implement Trump’s Ukraine peace plan, navy professional warns

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Britain’s shrunken military can be virtually utterly swallowed up if it needed to implement Donald Trump’s reported Ukrainian ‘peace plan’ deal, a defence chief has warned. 

Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon mentioned tens of 1000’s of British troopers could possibly be sucked into spearheading a peacekeeping pressure to supervise a demilitarised zone spanning an 800-mile lengthy stretch of contested Ukrainian land seized by Russia. 

It comes after an unconfirmed ‘leaked report’ claimed to disclose President Trump’s plan for a ceasefire by Easter, freezing any additional advance in direction of Kyiv by Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin’s forces.  

To police the peace pact, a brigade of 10,000 UK navy personnel can be wanted, Col de Bretton-Gordon mentioned, alongside probably two different similarly-sized items that might rotate and deploy each six months. 

But the previous commander of Britain’s nuclear defence pressure feared such an enormous dedication would bathroom down a significant bulk of the military, leaving the Royal Navy and RAF – which additionally face their very own manpower points – to defend Britain’s shores.

And he was involved that the UK was so wanting tanks, armoured autos and helicopters, that the military would wish to depend on Nato allies like Sweden, Denmark, France and Germany to do the heavy lifting on the bottom. 

‘This can be a whole dedication for the British Army,’ warned the retired tank commander. ‘On this scale, this might swallow up the entire pressure. 

‘We may in all probability do a brigade at a time. But one British brigade wouldn’t be sufficient to cowl that border. This is divisional corps stage effort – ballpark, that is 50,000 to 60,000 peacekeeping troops.’

British troops driving Jackal fight autos descend from M3 amphibious rigs of the German/British Amphibious Engineer Battalion 130 after crossing the Vistula River in the course of the NATO Dragon 24 navy train on March 4, 2024

A soldier of the 2nd Battalion Royal Anglian infantry unit storms an enemy place in a simulated assault on the Nato ‘Brilliant Jump’ navy drill on February 26, 2024 in Poland

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The Afghanistan veteran mentioned it could be ‘important’ to have Nato allies supporting the mission, including: ‘We simply do not have the tanks, armoured autos and assault helicopters wanted to cowl such a big space.’

Under the alleged leaked Trump peace plan, shared on a pro-Russian web site, a ceasefire can be agreed on April 20.

The proposal additionally claims there can be a ban on Ukraine from becoming a member of Nato, and a requirement for Kyiv to simply accept Russian sovereignty on annexed land.

Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon mentioned tens of 1000’s of British troops could possibly be sucked into main a peacekeeping pressure

British defence sources have informed the MailOnline the ceasefire proposal is ‘purely speculative’. 

However, the ‘plans’ – which haven’t been confirmed by the Washington – have left Ukrainians horrified and fearing Kyiv may need to cave and again unfavourable phrases to finish the warfare, which can hit its third anniversary on February 24. 

Meanwhile, reviews at present counsel that President Trump is making ready to double down on sanctions towards Russia to convey Putin’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine to an finish. 

Current sanctions towards the Russian premier are ‘solely a few three’ on a one-to-10 scale of how extreme they could possibly be, in line with president’s particular envoy on the Russia-Ukraine battle, Keith Kellogg. 

‘The strain simply cannot be navy. You must put financial strain, it’s important to put diplomatic strain,’ he informed the New York Post. ‘And if there’s anyone who understands leverage, it is President Donald J. Trump.’

An administrative constructing stands broken after Russian missile assault on February 5, 2025 in Izium, Ukraine

An explosion of a drone is seen within the sky over town throughout a Russian drone strike, amid Russia’s assault on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 5, 2025

Combat medics of the 14th Assault Brigade Chervona Kalyna of the Ukrainian National Guard deal with an injured Ukrainian serviceman inside a medical stabilization level, amid Russia’s assault on Ukraine, close to the frontline city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk area, Ukraine February 3, 2025

US president Donald Trump (pictured on February 6 in Washington, US) will reportedly attempt to pressure Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to comply with a ceasefire with Russia by Easter 

However, regardless of this, there are considerations that America wouldn’t use any of its forces to help within the peacekeeping mission. 

Britain’s military is now at its smallest dimension in additional than 230 years, with Defence Secretary Jon Healey just lately warning that it may quickly dip beneath 70,000 troopers for the primary time since 1793. 

So depleted is the UK’s navy manpower, former UK commanders have mentioned the nation would battle to subject the 1000’s of troops wanted to maintain the peace.

General Lord Richard Dannatt, informed The i Paper final month: ‘I do not suppose the dimensions of our Army is giant sufficient to do this with every thing else that it is doing at present. I feel we might battle.

‘We may do it, however then we must actually put extra assets into the Army, and set about rising the dimensions of the Army. 

‘It’s a significant problem that relates on to the long run dimension of the British Army. You begin to run out of troops fairly rapidly.’

Col de Brettton-Gordon added Britain may nonetheless play a key half within the peacekeeping effort, performing as a ‘framework’ pressure, main a tactical and operational command HQ. 

‘British troops are perfect for this, it is what they’re educated for: hearts and minds, doing the peacekeeping stuff after which with the ability to quickly implement issues when it is wanted,’ he informed MailOnline. 

British troops are seen rehearsing chilly climate drills throughout a deployment to Norway 

Royal Marines don fuel masks as they work on reacting to chemical, organic, radiological and nuclear assaults throughout NATO’s Steadfast Defender train in 2024

‘But if the federal government desires to make use of its navy, it has to useful resource it correctly and spend the correct cash. Apart from one battlegroup in Estonia, there’s not a lot else that is prepared and educated. 

‘If Starmer desires to wave the navy card, he has to pay for it.’

Col de Bretton-Gordon additionally claimed it could be unlikely that Washington would put American boots on the bottom. 

‘The US will not be getting concerned. Trump has mentioned “Europe is your problem”. So, the idea is the US would not be getting concerned.

‘But if the s*** hits the fan, then the Americans may come charging over the hill however I get the sensation that what Trump has informed us is “I will squeeze Putin’s cajones tightly but you have to put the boots on the ground”.’

Sir Keir Starmer has beforehand spoken to French President Emmanuel Macron concerning the prospect of a Franco-British joint peacekeeping in Ukraine as soon as the warfare is over, to stop one other onslaught by Russia.  

Speaking final month, the Prime Minister added: ‘We are with you not simply at present or tomorrow, for this 12 months or the subsequent, however for 100 years lengthy after this horrible warfare is over and Ukraine is free and thriving as soon as once more.’

Asked whether or not he was able to ship the British troops to Ukraine, the PM mentioned: ‘I do not need to get forward of ourselves, however I’ve indicated that we’ll play our full half. Because this is not nearly sovereignty in Ukraine.

‘It’s about what the impression is again within the United Kingdom and our values, our freedom, our democracy. Because if Russia succeeds on this aggression, it’ll impression all of us for a really, very very long time.’

The Ministry of Defence declined to remark. 

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