London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jun 28, 2026

Ukraine-Russia tensions: British troops 'unlikely' to fight - Truss

Ukraine-Russia tensions: British troops 'unlikely' to fight - Truss

There is a "real threat" of Russia invading Ukraine, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has warned, but it is "very unlikely" British soldiers would be deployed to fight in any conflict.

Instead, she said the UK was sending weapons to Ukraine and "strengthening" its sanction system so oligarchs close to the Kremlin had "nowhere to hide".

She said the UK was also offering extra support to nearby Nato allies.

Any invasion would be "terrible for Europe", Ms Truss told the BBC.

Russia has placed about 100,000 troops, tanks, artillery and missiles near Ukraine's border, but denies it plans to invade the former Soviet republic, which borders both Russia and the EU.

But Ms Truss said it was "highly likely" that President Vladimir Putin was looking to invade.

"We're doing all we can through deterrence and diplomacy to urge him to desist," she told BBC One's Sunday Morning programme.

Economic sanctions - punishments put on a state, individuals or organisations by another country - could target Russian financial institutions, energy companies, and those who are "key to... the continuation of the Russian regime".

Under new legislation, sanctions could potentially target "any interest that has an impact on the Russian government", she said.

The Foreign Office is expected to announce tougher sanctions in Parliament on Monday.

Earlier this week, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the West not to create panic, saying warnings of an imminent invasion were putting Ukraine's economy at risk.

Ms Truss, who will visit Ukraine and Moscow in the next two weeks, said the UK had already trained 20,000 troops in Ukraine, supplied anti-tank missiles, and given support to its navy and energy sector.

The UK is also considering offering to double the number of its troops deployed in Eastern Europe, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying it would send a "clear message to the Kremlin".

The UK has more than 900 military personnel based in Estonia, more than 100 in Ukraine as part of a training mission, while a light cavalry squadron numbering about 150 is deployed to Poland.

Also speaking to Sunday Morning's Sophie Raworth, Nato's secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said there would be a "high price to pay" if Russia decided "to use force".

"The more aggressive they are, the more Nato [presence] they will get at the borders."

However, he reiterated that Ukraine was not a member of the military alliance, and as such there were "no plans to deploy Nato combat troops".

Russia wants the West to promise Ukraine will never join Nato, in which members promise to come to another's aid in the event of an armed attack.

Nato's 30 members include the US, UK, and several former Soviet republics, some of which border Russia. Moscow sees Nato troops in Eastern Europe as a direct threat to its security.

Mr Putin has long argued the US broke a guarantee it made in 1990 that Nato would not expand further east, though interpretations differ over exactly what was promised.

Last month, Russia issued a written list of its concerns about Nato expansion and reiterated that Ukraine should never join the alliance.

The US has since rejected that demand, but Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it was offering Moscow "a serious diplomatic path forward, should Russia choose it".

If Russia were to invade Ukraine, it would not be the first time.

Russia annexed Ukraine's southern Crimea peninsula in 2014. It is also backing rebels who seized large swathes of the eastern Donbas region soon afterwards, and some 14,000 people have died in fighting there.


Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warns of a "real threat" that Russia will invade Ukraine

Watch: Understand the Ukraine crisis with Ros Atkins in less than six minutes

Nato's Jens Stoltenberg: "No plans to deploy combat troops in Ukraine"


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
GB News Pundit Charged With Fraud Over Alleged Conduct as Former Labour Adviser
Reform UK Gains Parliamentary Visibility in First Senedd Opposition Appearance
Metropolitan Police Arrest Man on Suspicion of Attempted Murder After London Car Incident
Ocado Chief Executive Tim Steiner Faces Scrutiny Over £100 Million Remuneration Package
British Chambers of Commerce Downgrades UK Growth Outlook to 0.9 Percent for 2026
Nottingham University Hospitals Maternity Failings Trigger Renewed Calls for Public Inquiry
Severe Heatwave Disrupts UK Transport Networks and Strains Public Services Across England
Labour Leadership Transition Raises Prospect of Andy Burnham Becoming UK Prime Minister
UK Government Confirms Further Medicine Price Concessions for Community Pharmacies in June
British Chambers of Commerce Calls for Public Procurement Reform to Boost Regional Growth
Thousands Mark Armed Forces Day Across the United Kingdom With National Parades and Flypasts
Man Arrested in Ealing on Suspicion of Attempted Murder After Vehicle Ramming Incident Injures Five
Cambridge South Station Opens With £250 Million Investment to Strengthen Life Sciences Corridor
UK Heat-Health Alerts Extended Across England as High Temperatures Persist
Thames Water and Energy Operators Warn of Peak Demand Risks During UK Heatwave
Government Conference Highlights Push for Evidence-Led Policy Across UK Public Sector
Insolvency Service Reports Improved Confidence in UK Insolvency System
Security Industry Authority Finds Widespread Safety Failures in UK Night-Time Economy
Nigel Farage Expands Anti-WHO Campaign Into United States With New Lobbying Structure
Home Secretary Seema Mahmood Unveils New Safe Routes Plan for Asylum Seekers
UK Government Warns of Peak Electricity and Water Pressure Amid Ongoing Heatwave
New Nuclear Plant in Wales Named Gwyndod Power Station as Energy Strategy Advances
UK Announces First Major Hydropower Projects in Four Decades to Expand Renewable Capacity
Thirteen Men Charged in Major UK Sexual Abuse Case as Investigation Continues
UK Launches Cross-Sector Climate Security Taskforce Linking Environment and National Security
UN Secretary-General António Guterres Calls for Urgent Global Methane Emissions Cuts in London
World Bank Approves $1 Billion UK-Backed Financing Package for Ukraine Recovery
UK Pledges Emergency Aid and Rescue Team Deployment to Earthquake-Hit Venezuela
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75 Percent for Fourth Straight Meeting
Record-Breaking Heatwave Puts Strain on UK Health Services and Energy Networks
London Ambulance Service Sees Record Emergency Demand as Heatwave Intensifies
British Chambers of Commerce Warns of Prolonged Weak Investment Climate Through 2027
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates as Inflation Risks Persist
UK Construction Sector Faces One Percent Contraction Amid Cost and Investment Pressures
Former DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson Convicted of Sexual Offences
Church of England Appoints Dr Linsay Cunningham to Lead Faith and Public Life Division
UK Armed Forces Day Marked Nationwide With Events From Aberdeen to the Scilly Isles
Rising Tensions in Edinburgh Prompt Joint Warning From Scottish Local Government Leaders
UK Construction Sector Forecast to Contract One Percent in 2026 on Cost Pressures
UK Parliament Backs 87 Percent Emissions Cut as Government Deepens Electrification Drive
British Chambers of Commerce Forecast Weak UK Growth as Investment and Demand Slow
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75 Percent Amid Energy and Inflation Uncertainty
London Ambulance Service Reports Record Surge in Life-Threatening Emergency Calls During Heatwave
UK Parliament Approves Legally Binding 87 Percent Emissions Cut Target by 2040
United Kingdom Records Third Consecutive Day of Record June Heat as Europe Faces Worsening Heatwave
Robert Jenrick Defends £5 Million Donation to Nigel Farage Amid Political Scrutiny
Plymouth Museum The Box Wins 2026 Art Fund Museum of the Year Award
UK Government Faces Backlash Over Plans to Use Former Military Sites for Asylum Accommodation
Labour Party Faces Pressure Over Cabinet Stability as Senior Figures Clash on Policy Direction
Heathrow Airport Forecasts Passenger Decline in 2026 as Costs and Climate Disruption Mount
×