Victory for Ukraine ‘Vital’ for European Security, Says Foreign Secretary

Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron in a file photo on Jan. 4, 2024. Valdrin Xhemaj/PA

Success for Ukraine in the war against Russia is “vital” for European security as the alternative would embolden Vladimir Putin to further attempt to “re-draw European borders by force,” the foreign secretary has said.

Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said in a statement on Monday that a victory for Russia “would be heard clearly” by adversaries such as China, Iran, and North Korea.

“Success for Ukraine and failure for Putin are vital for American and European security,” Lord Cameron said, adding that victory for Kyiv “will show that borders matter, that aggression doesn’t pay and that countries like Ukraine are free to choose their own future.”

The foreign secretary warned, “The alternative would only encourage Putin in further attempts to re-draw European borders by force, and would be heard clearly in Beijing, Tehran and North Korea.”

Lord Cameron made the remarks ahead of a meeting in Washington on Tuesday to promote Euro-Atlantic security and discuss with U.S. partners continued American support to Ukraine.

The foreign secretary is expected to say that while Europe has provided more than half of the total assistance to Ukraine, nothing can match the scale and pace of American support, which remains “the key stone in the arch” in the fight for democracy.

European Allies Must ‘Redouble’ Efforts to Support Kyiv

The foreign secretary’s comments follow on from similar remarks by Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, who last week said European allies must “redouble our efforts to support Ukraine.”

Mr. Shapps had said that with the “right support,” Ukraine was able to render the Russian navy “functionally inactive” in the Black Sea. He further claimed that Ukraine is “defending the frontiers of freedom for us all.”

Since 2022, the UK has provided over £7 billion in military support to Ukraine and had trained more than 60,000 military personal since 2014.

According to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, European nations, including the UK, have already committed over £145 billion to Ukraine.

Last week, Lord Cameron said Ukraine was “closer to NATO than ever,” saying that the alliance “must sustain the critical support Ukraine needs to win the war.”

However, he ruled out a direct “boots on the ground” NATO intervention in the country.

A ‘Pre-War World’

Mr. Shapps had urged European defence partners to increase their support for Ukraine in a piece for The Telegraph, where he also encouraged allies on the continent to look beyond the 2 percent defence spending pledge and to shore up their defence sectors by investing more in ammunition and stockpiles.

The defence secretary said the measures were necessary as Europe was in a “pre-war world,” warning that hostile powers like China and Russia are “aligning” and “our democracy is in their crosshairs.”

“We have moved from a post-war to a pre-war world,” Mr. Shapps wrote.

He continued: “Russia is menacing our neighbours. China is increasingly belligerent. Iran is using its proxies to cause regional havoc from the Middle East to the straits of Yemen. And North Korea is perpetually rattling its nuclear sabre.”

“Increasingly, these malign powers are aligning and our democracy is in their crosshairs,” he added.

Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales returns Portsmouth after successfully leading the UK's involvement in Exercise Steadfast Defender, on March 26, 2024. Andrew Matthews/PA Wire

A Swedish-Style National Service

Other senior figures in defence and intelligence have said Europe is either already in a state of war or should be preparing itself for conflict, including former head of MI6 Sir Richard Dearlove who said in February that “Europe is at war” on a psychological level and ”we should be thinking in those terms.”

Former MI6 Chief Sir Alex Younger said he found the term “pre-war” not particularly helpful, because in reality, “we’re always in a pre-war world to some extent.”

“I come from the covert world where states behave according to their real interests, not their professed ones,” the former MI6 chief told the BBC’s Nick Robinson last week.

Military vehicles including trucks and support vehicles at the Marchwood Military Sea Mounting Centre near Southampton, England, on Feb. 13, 2024. Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images

In his interview on the corporation’s Today Podcast, Sir Alex said the UK should consider a Sweden-style “reserve force” that can be called up during states of defence emergency.

The former Secret Intelligence Service appeared to rule out recommending a “blanket conscription,” opting instead for thinking about ways ”the broader country would participate and contribute to security in a time of an emergency.”

“Ultimately, in extremis, I think we'd be looking at something like the model as I understand exists in places like Sweden, where the government theoretically has the power to compel people to give their service one way or another but doesn’t exercise it, except in areas where it’s really needed,” he said.

Vehicles and equipment are loaded onboard MV Anvil Point at the Sea Mounting Centre in Marchwood near Southampton, Hampshire, on Feb. 13, 2024. Ben Birchall/PA

Since January, defence allies have been taking part in Steadfast Defender, NATO’s largest European exercise since the Cold War.

NATO has called the exercise “a significant display of military prowess” which allows the defence union to showcase “transatlantic unity, strength, and determination in the face of evolving security challenges.”

Approximately 90,000 troops from all NATO allies have engaged in multi-domain exercises across land, air, sea, cyber, and space operations. Exercises are set to be completed on May 31.