The British Ministry of Defense announced on Monday that the UK will send around 20,000 soldiers to participate in a large NATO military exercise in Europe in the first half of this year, along with warships and fighter jets. The deployment will include 16,000 troops from the British Army who will be stationed in Eastern Europe from February to June, in addition to a carrier group and F-35B fighter jets and reconnaissance aircraft. The exercise marks the 75th anniversary of the alliance.
British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps, in excerpts from a speech he is scheduled to give later today at Lancaster House, said, "I can announce today that the United Kingdom will send around 20,000 troops to participate in one of the largest NATO deployments since the end of the Cold War." NATO has increased its combat-ready troops after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago, continuing to support Kyiv with military, economic, and humanitarian aid.
Shapps stated about the exercises, "They will bring our military forces together with their counterparts from 30 NATO countries, as well as Sweden, providing important reassurance against the threat posed by Putin."
