cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/9906910

Grant Shapps to send UK troops to Ukraine Army will train Zelensky’s military on the ground and Navy may move into Black Sea

By Edward Malnick, SUNDAY POLITICAL EDITOR 30 September 2023

British troops will be deployed in Ukraine for the first time under plans being discussed with military chiefs, the new Defence Secretary has disclosed…

  • Chaotic Entropy
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    1 year ago

    “Particularly in the west of the country, I think the opportunity now is to bring more things ‘in country’, and not just training but also we’re seeing BAE [the UK defence firm], for example, move into manufacturing in country, for example.

    “I’m keen to see other British companies do their bit as well by doing the same thing. So I think there will be a move to get more training and production in the country.”

    Sooo… Britain wants its defence contractors to get in on the ground floor, basically. We needed more exportable products to bolster the economy and so we’re going to sell some more war and its associated service industries.

    Everyone is trying to keep their hands clean and support abstract enough to avoid open war, but that stops them profiting as much as they could. Britain is going all in.

    • tal@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      Rheinmetall recently announced that they were starting up a facility in Ukraine.

      https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/10/business/rheinmetall-german-tank-factory-ukraine/index.html

      Rheinmetall will open an armored vehicle plant in Ukraine within the next 12 weeks, shrugging off concerns other Western defense companies reportedly have about building a presence in the country while it is at war with Russia.

      I am guessing that the factor is more that Ukraine’s considered to have a decent-enough air-defense situation now that it’s reasonable to start operating factories without worrying about them getting hit with missiles or something.