Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge has completed a visit to Ukraine, underlining what the party call the Conservative Party’s push to reshape Britain’s defence policy with lessons drawn directly from the front line.
While in Kyiv, Cartlidge met with Alexander Kamyshin, the former head of Ukraine’s railways and now a key presidential adviser. Kamyshin has been internationally praised for maintaining Ukraine’s vital rail links under fire, ensuring that the country’s lifelines remained open throughout the conflict.
Cartlidge’s visit also included a moment of reflection at the Wall of Memory in Kyiv, where he laid flowers alongside Ukraine’s Deputy Defence Minister Sergiy Boyev to honour those who have fallen since the Russian invasion.
Cartlidge used the visit to highlight what he called the need for a more agile and responsive British defence posture. Touring a drone production facility in the Ukrainian capital, he witnessed how local innovation is driving rapid advances in low-cost, high-impact warfare.
Ukrainian engineers are producing lethal long-range drones in a matter of days, at a fraction of the cost of traditional weapons systems. Cartlidge said the visit was “inspiring” and praised Ukraine’s ability to “produce vast numbers of lethal long-range one-way attack drones which rival far more expensive systems in terms of strike capability.”
The trip comes as the Conservative Party seeks to contrast its approach to defence with that of the Labour government, which it accuses of stalling on necessary investment.
Cartlidge stressed that Britain must do more to enhance its own defence manufacturing capabilities. “My visit makes clear that we must be doing more at home to increase our defence industrial output,” he said. T
The Conservatives are actively seeking input from defence experts, veterans, and frontline innovators to help craft a new, forward-looking defence policy.
Is he going for a night out on the town in Kiev?
Rember when people wore suits 😀