Keir Starmer shouldn’t wait – he must deploy British troops to Ukraine now

There exists a profound truth: while diplomacy and caution have their merits, there are times when decisive might is essential. Last night, when I saw the breaking news alert that Keir Starmer said he is ‘ready and willing’ to put UK troops on the ground, I felt both a chill run down my spine and a surge of pride. Then when I saw former Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak publicly declare support for his once-fiercely fought opponent, I thought: ‘This is British politics at its best.’.

But they still remain words without weight. Ukraine needs more than inspiring platitudes and warm words. For too long, the West has focused on merely preventing Ukraine from losing — a stance that, while well-intentioned, has proven dangerously inadequate. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video. Up Next. Some experts predicted that Ukraine would collapse within a week of Russia’s invasion. Three years on, although they have not fallen, victory remains frustratingly out of reach.

Even more so now that Donald Trump has made his position clear — reportedly excluding Ukraine from negotiations, potentially conceding ground and emboldening Vladimir Putin. It is time to abandon the defeatist narrative and relentlessly focus on securing a win. And the United Kingdom must lead this charge. Our nation boasts one of the world’s proudest records of defending our neighbours in times of crisis.

When Hitler invaded Poland, we refused to bow down and up to half a million Brits – alongside millions of our allies – made the ultimate sacrifice to defeat Nazism. The human cost was immeasurable, but it remains the right decision. Admiral Nelson’s daring leadership at the Battle of Trafalgar secured our nation’s future, our intervention in Kosovo helped protect vulnerable communities, and our decisive action in Sierra Leone rescued a country under siege.

Our history is littered with moments attesting to our unwavering commitment to fight for what’s right with courage and conviction. That indomitable British spirit has defined our legacy; now, it demands that we revive it. Today, we find ourselves at another crossroads — a moment when half-measures, public posturing, and behind-the-scenes manoeuvring are not enough. While Starmer’s recent remarks signal a move in the right direction, they may ring hollow to families enduring the ravages of war.

The reality is simple: Ukraine must win now, not avoid defeat for another week. The solution is also simple — but it is painful: we must deploy British troops to secure victory. I understand the weight of what I’m saying here. This is not a decision to be taken lightly, but the UK cannot and must not sit on the sidelines of history. We know who we are; we know what we stand for, and this is the time to prove it.

It is not enough to simply sever all ties with Russia — though we should — we must signal to the world that the era of half-measures is over. By deploying British troops to Ukraine, we send an unequivocal message that the United Kingdom defends democracy. Our moral responsibility demands urgent, decisive leadership from Keir Starmer. Those who argue that this risks escalating the conflict or dragging us into ‘another country’s’ war fundamentally misunderstand that the alternative is far graver.

A decisive victory for Ukraine is not just morally and geopolitically necessary to safeguard democratic values worldwide — it is a strategic imperative: Failure to act undermines and weakens our own country’s security. Comparisons to WWII are overused today, but they are instructive. In seminal moments of existential crisis, Britain and its allies understood that victory required more than just resistance — it demanded heart wrenching sacrifice and willingness to fight the enemy head-on.

Today, Ukraine stands at that same cliff-edge. We have all seen the ferocity of Russian aggression and the resilience of Ukrainian defenders. Without our military intervention, this conflict risks becoming an endless struggle. As we approach 80 years since VE Day, now is the time for the UK to embody the transformative and inspirational spirit of that defining victory. Now is the time to demonstrate the kind of leadership that can transform this humanitarian catastrophe from a state of survival into a historic turning point.

Every decision — and every word — carries enormous weight in times like these. But the stakes are too high to settle for anything less. The United Kingdom is an extraordinary nation with an extraordinary legacy. We are defined by our founding principles of democracy, the rule of law, and the unwavering protection of freedom. As Russia’s grip tightens, the United Kingdom must step up. We must be the country that didn’t blink, that didn’t hesitate, that didn’t back down.