The Defence Committee session highlighted discussions on the implications of the recent U.S. election result, ongoing support for Ukraine, and the importance of maintaining public understanding of the UK’s strategic role.
Addressing concerns about the potential impact of the U.S. election result on defence spending, Defence Secretary John Healey dismissed the idea of any immediate changes.
“I feel that the case for increasing the defence spend is there. That is why I recognised and argued for it before the election, and it is why, as a new Government, we have made a commitment to doing so,” he explained.
However, Healey urged caution against speculation, adding, “We need to wait to see what the policy, military and strategic definition of the new President and Administration will be.”
The Chair raised concerns about the incoming Trump Administration potentially making unilateral decisions regarding Ukraine, referencing the Doha agreement with Afghanistan as an example. Healey emphasised the importance of avoiding hypothetical scenarios, reiterating the UK’s commitment to Ukraine.
“We have done this from day one. On day two in this job, I was in Odesa with President Zelensky confirming that from that point on we were stepping up support, which we are continuing to do,” he said.
Healey outlined the Government’s priority: “Particularly in this period when Ukraine is under significant pressure—over the next two or three months—we do everything we can to ensure that it is successful on the battlefield and capable of withstanding the Russian pressure.”
He also spoke on the UK’s leadership role, stating, “Our job is to rally allies as best we can, but also to continue the proud leadership that the UK has had from the outset of the Russian invasion.”
Communicating the Threat to the Public
MP Alex Baker questioned the Defence Secretary about plans to inform the British public of the current security threat. Healey acknowledged the responsibility of Government and Parliament to foster public understanding.
“It is important for us to help people see clearly that the Ukrainians are fighting for their sovereignty and their right to territorial integrity, but they are also fighting for the same values that we stand for: individual freedom, long-term peace, and a country’s right to decide its own future,” he said.
Healey stressed the broader implications of the conflict, warning, “If Putin prevails in Ukraine, he is not going to stop there. For us in the UK, the first line of the defence of the UK starts in Ukraine.”
The Defence Secretary also highlighted the critical role of allies: “In this day and age, the strength of our allies matters, and it matters perhaps more than it has ever done.”
Sustaining Public Support for Ukraine
Healey expressed pride in the UK’s united stance on Ukraine, but he cautioned against complacency. “If we want the British public to maintain the extraordinary level of hospitality and support that they have demonstrated to Ukrainians, that is not something we can take for granted. Unless we nurture it, we could see it wither,” he warned.
He noted the risk of public support waning, as seen in other countries. “I am really proud that this is still a country that stands united for Ukraine, as we have from the outset,” Healey concluded.
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If both the US and EU are shunning us and neither wants our help I’m seeing massive savings in defence. We can easily defend our little corner of the North Atlantic on a lot less than 2.3% of GDP.
Are you working for the ministry of cuts ? ,sorry (ministry of defence)
Has someone kidnapped the real Jim and replaced him with an unconvincing Chinese clone. We could barely defend anything on our own even at 4% I fear. I suspect Ukraine would wipe the floor with us indeed.
And you think I’m the Chinese clone 😀
We don’t just require defence of the homeland by our forces. We need to contribute forces to NATO for employment all over the Euro-Atlantic region and we also have global responsibilities and interests.
Not if the EU and US don’t want us we don’t. Both the EU and USA boarder Russia and we are thousands of miles away.
I’m happy to be involved via NATO in defence of the North Atlantic but if the US and EU want to shun NATO then so be it.
We are very able to defend our bit of the world.
Don’t worry captain Mainwaring. Sob, sob…nobody loves us. The NHS will save a packet with Starmer’s assisted dying plan which we can spend on defending the homeland.
Jim, NATO does not take its orders from the EU. NATO has always existed to deter hostile nations from invading, occcupying or dominating the Euro-Atlantic region. The EU is primarily a trading bloc – their military activity is non-core. They do not oppose or shun NATO or act as an alternative to NATO.
The US is a different case. Trump’s USA did not leave NATO in his first term and I doubt he would in his second term.
Irrelevant that we are further from Russia than some ENATO countries – we are all in this together. We may have to fight over Poland or the Baltic states being threatened or invaded as our own country in such a situation. That is what mutual defence is all about.
Which is exactly the little Britain mindset I fear with the Labour Party.
Withdraw. Small island. No P5, no G7, no engagement or bases around the world, no need for x,y,z and other nations take more prominence in the great game of geopolitics, to THEIR advantage not ours.
Thanks Jim! You’ve shown your true colours there.
The EU has never shunned us. We just withdrew and abused them at the urging of the proven illegal Russian stodges of leave. All without any legitimate democratic basis.
Oh behave and grow up for gods sake!
Well he is not completely wrong is he as any growing child will probably have worked out by now.
He certainly makes a point though
Are you aware that a Democracy can be Totalitarian? you are not very far off when your country developed the Orwellian Non-crime Hate Incidents.
European France either. They just fined a newspaper for saying that abortion is killing human beings.
Neither of you are very far from Putin Russia. Oppression is soft level, no one yet fell from balconies, but totalitarian in span. Probably much more effective than crude Russian tactics. In the end the result will be the same, stasis, entropy and a soulless society.
This ^^^^
Starmer is intent on foisting his uniquely loveless view of humanity on the rest of us. People are being deceived into thinking the labour govt is a triumph of liberal democracy. In fact it’s more like National Socislism everyday, complete with eugenics program.
They shunned the new labour government pretty hard. Kier was very much sent packing.
How have we abused the EU since Brexit?
True the EU will never shun anyone that follows in line and does what it wants, if you go against its wishes then yes they will act in that way.
This story is about the possible defence ramifications of a Trump prrdidency on yhe rest of the NATO alliance. I don’t know why people drag the EU into the discussion, it is nothing to do with NATO.
Trump may well come to some sell-out deal over Ukraine with his chum Vladimir, akin to his disastrous and naive Doha agreement with the Taliban. I would like to think that the UK will stand strong and not go along with any sellout of Ukraine, but alas, the individual NATO members will probably bend the knee to avoid retaliation by a vengeful Trump.
It could be a key moment for the EU to emerge as a political player, declining to accept any patsy deal the Trump proposes. In which case, we should make common cause with the EU. Its economy is not too far behind the USA in value, its population, if we include the UK, is 50% larger than the USA. It is not open to being bullied in a trade war with the USA.
We should align ourselves with the EU if it comes to a choice between the EU or US. We do way more in the way of trade with the EU than the US. The defence and security concerns of the EU closely match our own too. It should not be a difficult decision to make all things considered!
If we have a government with a decent IQ we can get zero tariffs from the US and not get involved in a US EU spat keeping our existing trade with the EU. But like I said it requires a government with some intelligence 😀
Depends which way trump goes, he could just go ultra protectionist and spam tariffs on everyone.