Welcome to the 72nd Cable, our weekly roundup of British foreign and defence policy.
In recent months, the United States (US) has made it clear that it intends on strengthening its strategic position in the Western Hemisphere. In December, the Trump administration released the latest National Security Strategy, which placed significant emphasis on tackling the challenges of migration, crime, and securing access to critical resources in Latin America and the Caribbean. This has been backed up by the raid into Venezuela by American forces to capture Nicolás Maduro, the deposed President of Venezuela, on 3rd January, and renewed interest in acquiring Greenland.
However, the American operation last week to seize the Marinera, a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic – with support provided by the United Kingdom (UK) – and the threats of intervention made by Donald Trump, President of the US, to the Iranian regime in response to the killing of protesters in the nation show that American retrenchment is not as set in stone as it may seem.
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On 7th January, John Healey, Secretary of State for Defence, provided an update to the House of Commons on the UK’s assistance to the US military operation to intercept the Marinera tanker in the North Atlantic. This entailed the use of British bases by American forces and the deployment of UK assets, including airborne surveillance and RFA Tideforce. Healey went on to update the House on British support for Ukraine.
On 8th January, Sir Keir Starmer, Prime Minister, held calls with Donald Trump, President of the US; Mark Rutte, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO); and Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister of Denmark, following the White House’s continued desire to exert control over Greenland. In these calls, the Prime Minister discussed the importance of security in the Wider North and the threat posed by Russia in the region.
His Majesty’s (HM) Government has announced that the UK will develop a new ‘tactical ballistic missile’ to boost Ukraine’s long-range capabilities. In November 2025, it launched a competition – under the name Project Nightfall – to develop a ‘ground-launched ballistic missile with a range of more than 500 kilometres and designed to operate in high-threat battlefields with heavy electromagnetic interference’. The deadline to receive Nightfall development proposals is 9th February 2026, with development contracts aimed to be awarded in March 2026.
On 9th January, Maj. Gen. Phil Prosser CBE was appointed as the next Chief of Defence Logistics and Support (CDLS), in the rank of Lieutenant General. As CDLS, Maj. Gen. Prosser will be responsible for ‘overseeing the continued implementation of the Defence Support Strategy, the delivery of strategic military logistics and support advice, and, as the Functional Owner, developing, cohering and assuring support across defence’. He will take up the position from October 2026.
Sir Richard Knighton, Chief of the Defence Staff, appeared before the House of Commons Defence Committee on 12th January, where he stated that Britain is ‘not as ready as we need to be for the kind of full-scale conflict we might face’. This comes more than six months after HM Government published its Strategic Defence Review, detailing its core priorities and requirements for bolstering the military. Reporting by The Financial Times suggests that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) believes it will need an ‘additional £28 billion to meet its costs over the next four years’ which has prompted a delay to the publication of the Defence Investment Plan.
For additional defence news stories, follow this link to the DSEI Gateway news portal.
How competitors frame Britain
TASS reported on a statement made by Maria Zakharova, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, where she claimed that ‘Brussels, London and others have been dismantling the existing system of regional security in Europe in favour of throwing the changing balance of power their way…where the European colonial powers supposedly dominate the region [and are] openly hostile towards Russia.’ The only imperial power in Europe is Russia, which is now nearly four years into a war of conquest against its neighbour Ukraine.
Russia Today released propaganda following the news that British and other European nation’s forces could be deployed to Ukraine following a ceasefire. The article states that the Kremlin has warned that ‘foreign units would be treated as “legitimate targets” and that plans by Kyiv’s backers would amount to outside intervention.’ The only reason why British and allied troops would be deployed to Ukraine is to ensure that it remains a safe and sovereign nation on the world stage.
Developments between the Coalition of the Willing and Ukraine
On 6th January, during the meeting of the Coalition of Willing leaders, only two leaders demonstrated genuinely decisive leadership: the host of the summit – Emmanuel Macron, President of France – and Sir Keir.
Together with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, they signed a Declaration of Intent to deploy units of their armed forces on Ukrainian territory within the framework of Multinational Force – Ukraine (MNF-U).
The Multinational Force is envisaged to be deployed ‘to create stable conditions for a lasting peace and for Ukraine’s sovereignty’, subject to a critical condition: its activation would occur ‘following the achievement of an agreement on a ceasefire in the armed conflict caused by the Russian Federation against Ukraine.’
Importantly, under international and domestic legal interpretations, the Declaration of Intent constitutes an official request by Ukraine for military assistance aimed at ‘supporting Ukraine’s security and defence forces in preventing armed aggression by third states.’
The next step should be the establishment of a dedicated negotiating group tasked with drafting a signature-ready international agreement. Such an agreement would formally codify the parties’ commitments, including the size, mandate and legal status of British and French personnel and equipment deployed on Ukrainian territory. Crucially, the framework would also allow for the participation of additional states.
The question of what contingent the UK and France might deploy to Ukraine remains open. There is no official binding figure at this stage. Macron has indicated that France could send several thousand troops, while HM Government has so far refrained from providing a concrete number.
At the same time, sources cited by The Times report that the United Kingdom is preparing to deploy up to 7,500 troops, with the combined British-French contingent potentially reaching around 15,000 personnel.
In any case, a lengthy process of political coordination and legal ratification still lies ahead. Sir Keir has previously stated that any decision to deploy British forces to Ukraine following a ceasefire would require a vote in the House of Commons. Comparable parliamentary requirements apply in France.
The UK went even further, however, and three days after the Coalition of the Willing meeting, Healey was already in Kyiv to sign a 2026 defence cooperation roadmap and meet with Ukrainian authorities.
Strengthening Ukraine’s air defence and ensuring sustained supplies of ammunition for these systems remain a core priority. In parallel, Britain and Ukraine agreed to advance joint strategic projects in the fields of air defence and long-range strike capabilities.
The UK has also confirmed plans for Ukraine to reach a production rate of 1,000 Octopus interceptor drones per month starting in February. In addition, the parties discussed prospects for localising the production of Gripen fighter aircraft, which incorporate technologies developed by British companies.
Particular attention was devoted to strengthening security in the Black Sea. It is reasonable to assume that this discussion also covered coordination between the UK and Ukraine on countering the so-called ‘shadow fleet’.
Finally, the two sides discussed preparations for the upcoming ‘Ramstein’ format meeting scheduled for February. Beyond this, Britain also engaged with Ukrainian counterparts on preparations for a potential meeting with American representatives, which could take place as early as next week.
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