The United Kingdom may abandon plans to send thousands of troops to defend Ukraine, as such action is considered too risky, The Times reported.

Instead, British and French military instructors will be sent to western Ukraine. A change in the form of military support could force Moscow to reconsider its "red lines" in order to reach a peaceful agreement. The deployment of instructors will be in line with the commitment to military presence in the country, but they will not be close to the front line, will not guard strategic sites, and will not directly defend Ukrainian positions.

Fighter jets will be able to provide air cover for Western troops. Turkey, for its part, will play a key role in the naval component of the force, which is currently in the planning stage. Arms supplies from the United Kingdom and European countries will continue to be delivered to Ukraine to ensure that it maintains a strong position in case Russia violates the terms of a possible peace agreement.
Although no final decisions have been made, the British Ministry of Defense emphasizes that the country has not completely abandoned the idea of sending troops to Ukraine in one form or another.

One of the diplomatic sources involved in the discussions within the "coalition of the willing" explained the problem with plans to send tens of thousands of ground troops: the risks are too high and the available forces are insufficient for such a task.
However, there are fears in Ukraine that foreign training contingents could be withdrawn at the first sign of danger, just as happened with British troops on the eve of the full-scale invasion.
A diplomatic source told The Times: "We will change our position, but we also want Moscow to cross its red lines." | BGNES