British troops are set to take part in a major Nato wargame in Poland next month, as US President Donald Trump distances himself from allies by declining to say whether Russia's President Vladimir Putin started the Ukraine war.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting announced that UK forces would participate in a "major exercise" during his inaugural visit to the US in the role. British troops will join their French and German counterparts in a drill designed to ensure Nato forces are prepared to provide Ukraine with security guarantees once the conflict draws to a close.
Exercise details and coalition planning
According to The Times, at least 1,500 troops from Britain, France and Germany will join Polish forces in the exercise next month. The wargame will simulate the movement of troops and supplies such as food and fuel, and was agreed at a coalition of the willing summit in July.
Speaking in Washington DC, Mr Streeting said: "Ukraine is the front line for freedom everywhere, and it's absolutely vital that they prevail against Putin's aggression. We're planning for the peace and freedom we want to see through our leadership of the coalition of the willing."
He added: "Next month thousands of personnel will take part in a major exercise in Poland to ensure we are ready to support the military training and post-war rebuilding that Ukraine will need."
Trump's stance on the war
The US president has put himself at odds with the UK and other allied nations over the war, refusing to acknowledge that President Putin triggered the Ukraine conflict. Britain and the majority of other Nato members have been unequivocal in blaming and condemning the Kremlin for the conflict, which erupted after Mr Putin ordered the invasion of the neighbouring country in 2022.
When Mr Trump was asked whether he had forgotten that it was the Russian leader who started the war, he avoided giving a direct answer and suggested the situation was more complex. He said: "I know the details, OK, and at some point I'll release the details."
Mr Trump added: "But I don't care anything except for one. I want that war ended."
Tensions with Zelensky and Starlink dispute
His remarks, made as he departed the White House for a campaign rally in Georgia, followed further criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, describing him as someone he was "not a big fan" of and claiming he was "more difficult to deal with than Putin". Mr Trump has previously suggested Ukraine required new leadership and maintained Mr Putin was keener on securing a peace deal.
Mr Trump also dismissed suggestions that the US bore any responsibility for disrupting Kyiv's access to the crucial Starlink satellite communications network, leaving the country vulnerable to attack. During a visit to London earlier this week, Mr Zelensky had accused Mr Trump of betraying Ukraine by restricting its access to US-made Starlink terminals, which are considered essential for the Ukrainian military's operations. However, speaking on Friday, the US president hit back, saying: "We didn't do that. We didn't slow it down at all."
Meanwhile, Mr Zelensky, attending a summit in Brussels on Friday, indicated that he concurred with the notion he was being made a scapegoat by Mr Trump for spiralling fuel prices driven by the Iran war, which was launched by the US and Israel in February. With pivotal American elections just weeks away, the US president has increasingly attempted to pin the blame for soaring energy costs on Ukrainian strikes against Russian refineries, rather than the disruption to oil supplies in the Middle East via the Strait of Hormuz waterway.
The latest tension between the two leaders emerged after Mr Trump struck a deal to purchase Russian diesel, which critics both at home and overseas have warned will be used to bankroll Mr Putin's war effort.
