I was a British army captain – what Starmer is offering Ukraine is a multifaceted masterstroke

The announcement of a £1.6bn contract going to Belfast for 5,000 lightweight multirole missiles (LMMs) for Ukraine is genius, writes retired British Army officer Mike Crofts – trust me, you wouldn’t want to be a Russian pilot flying near one

Events in the Oval Office have made a European force an inevitability. The coalition of the willing is the first step in renewed European consensus. While America’s technological edge cannot be replaced overnight, boosting Ukrainian supplies is a first step in preventing further advances by an emboldened Russia.

Europe is realising very late that we are far too reliant on America for security, their leadership, intelligence, data and high-specification weaponry. If access to US-purchased kit can be switched off on Donald Trump’s say-so, then we have a problem.

The unpredictability of Trump and future Maga successors means it is time to start planning for more integrated European military cooperation that boosts our shared economies. The UK’s SDSR (strategic defence and security review) this year must address this.

Much has been made of the US backstop to peace in Ukraine, the big issue is the significance of American air power and defence. Russia is severely restricted in its ability to deploy planes, drones, helicopters and logistics whilst it is in place. That matters both now and in the event of a US-guaranteed peace.

Keir Starmer continues the dialogue with Trump, a diplomatic feat not to be underestimated. The UK’s announcement of a £1.6bn contract going to Belfast for 5,000 lightweight multirole missiles (LMMs) promised by the UK yesterday, is also a multifaceted masterstroke: UK investment into Northern Ireland will create work with Thales – a French-owned defence manufacturer with a factory in Belfast.

LMM is a hybrid anti-armour and anti-air missile that can be shoulder, boat, helicopter and static mounted. At 3kgs it can lack the full weight to consistently defeat main battle tanks such as the T80, but you would not want to be a Russian pilot flying near one.

‘Europe cannot magic up the power of the CIA, Silicon Valley and the American military industrial complex overnight. In many ways, we should not’ (Getty)

Europe cannot magic up the power of the CIA, Silicon Valley and the American military industrial complex overnight. In many ways, we should not. The US spends far too much on defence, but we can use defence to bolster other industries and technological development with multipurpose applications – such as drones, communications, data and rockets.

Russia now has 700,000 troops in Ukraine, many more than at the initial stage of invasion. They have considerably regrouped and are now rolling out the conveyor line, the Kiel Institute believe they have produced around 1,550 new tanks (likely T80s) and 5,700 armoured vehicles in 2024, an increase of 220 per cent and 150 per cent respectively compared to 2022.

The LMM can go some way in maintaining Ukrainian air defence, but it is not on a par with the combined effect of US-made F35 fighter planes, Patriot missile air defence and ACTAMS long-range missiles, to name a few resources – which is why US involvement is so important.

We must prepare for the worst with Nato.

The USA may withdraw. Europe should seek to salvage what it can from the institution across Europe and retain the membership of nations like Canada and Australia. Whilst Europe has conducted a number of operations over the past two decades, creating a Euro army from scratch without Nato’s leadership capability would be an enormous task.

Maintaining diplomacy with the USA and not severing military cooperation should be a governing principle and it seems to align with Starmer’s current actions. Many UK and US veterans are shocked by the attitude of many Maga supporters, claiming we have done nothing to support Nato. Remembering the lives sacrificed to the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns, this strikes a nerve. We must remember that what Trump wants above everything is to look good. If that can be provided by a Europe-led peace that he can take credit for with his base, so be it.

Starmer’s diplomacy over the past 72 hours has been excellent. It remains uncertain if the US can be brought to guarantee a European-initiated peace, but the future of European defence and security has momentarily shifted away from the USA.