The UK’s involvement in the international training initiative for Ukrainian forces, Operation Interflex, has significantly declined, with staffing numbers reducing by over 1,000 in the past two and a half years, newly released data shows.
This sharp reduction, equating to a 73% decrease, sees British personnel numbers drop from 1,389 in June 2022 to just 369 by January 2025, despite the program having trained more than 51,000 Ukrainian soldiers to counteract Russian aggression.
Amid escalating demands from US President Donald Trump and heightened warnings regarding European defence capabilities, the UK and its allies are urgently reviewing their own security strategies.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD), however, highlighted that the diminished need for UK personnel has been offset by increased contributions from the other twelve nations participating in Operation Interflex, suggesting improvements in operational efficiency.
In response to a query from Liberal Democrat defence spokesperson Helen Maguire, Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard explained that the numbers do not reflect the overall output and announced Albania’s impending participation in the program.
The bulk of the reductions occurred under the Conservative leadership, notably between July 2023 and January 2024, with a significant cut of 882 staff.
Despite a change in government, the subsequent Labour administration has only seen a further decrease of 59 staff members since their election victory in July 2024.
The Liberal Democrats have expressed severe concerns over these cuts, urging Pollard to provide a clear justification for not reversing this downward trend, especially given the ongoing conflict in Europe.
Despite these concerns, the MoD maintains that the UK’s support for Ukraine remains robust, contradicting any claims to the contrary.
This assertion comes at a time when the efficacy of the UK armed forces is under scrutiny following years of budget reductions and growing pressure for increased defence spending across Europe.
In response to these challenges, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer committed to raising the UK’s defence budget to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, with ambitions to reach 3% in the early 2030s.
This comes as European leaders convene in Paris to formulate a collective response to President Trump’s unpredictable stance on Ukraine, following his proposal for direct peace negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
