Quotes
We’re seeing a gulf between the US and Europe the likes of which we haven’t seen since before the second world war,
Dan Sabbagh, the Guardian’s defence and security editor, tells Hannah Moore
100%, yeah. It's part of the job.”
At the prospect of going to Ukraine, Highlander Wilson, from Bradford, said
The reaction force here are absolutely ready and we’ll always present our commanders with options. We’re able to project at pace and we [and the other nations] are ready.”
He addedI’m absolutely certain that UK defence is in a position to lead whatever force would be required.”
He saidNATO must, and is, ready to meet any threat,
added Lieutenant Colonel Harry Waller
In terms of preparation, my brigade is ready,
Watson saidBoth drones had explosive charges on board, which were destroyed upon impact with the ground,
Bucharest saidWith the UK being a member of NATO, it is not impartial in this war, and the UK Government’s treatment of Ukraine and refugees since the start of the conflict has shown its support of the country."
Dr Hamourtziadou saidThis is highly inappropriate, to put it bluntly, and – honestly – we don’t even know what the outcome will be.”
He addedThe only civilian deaths this could prevent are British citizens who have travelled to Ukraine to support the military there, with at least 15 Britons dying on the front line."
She addedIt is completely premature and the completely wrong time to be having this discussion now.”
He told reporters
For example, a recent poll in Germany revealed that a staggering 59% of the public would support a deployment of the Bundeswehr, together with other European troops, to uphold a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia,
German think tank SWP said, but not without a US backup
Do you involve the Turks? Turkey is a NATO country, and maybe they could provide the numbers. Russians may find that tolerable,
Freedman saidBy summer, NATO will communicate capability targets to the individual governments. [German news magazine] Spiegel reported in June that Germany will likely need 'upward of 272,000 troops' to implement the plans,
added Loss
We do not plan to send Polish soldiers to the territory of Ukraine,
Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk told reportersIt's early days. There can be no such force without a sustainable deal,
Lawrence Freedman, an eminent military historian and strategist, told DWThe dilemma the Europeans face is: Where do they get those troops from? Pulling [them] from the border with Russia makes them vulnerable,
Rafael Loss, an expert on security affairs and a fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), told DWFor every soldier, you need one in training and another recuperating, so my rough assessment is that overall you need at least 100,000 troops,
said FreedmanBoots on the ground face a threat. Countries that will deploy them also face threats, especially hybrid threats or even assassinations,
added LossThe Bundeswehr’s current size is 181,000, with a pre-2022 goal to grow to 203,000 [by] 2031,
he said