Service Personnel (Ukraine) Debate

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Department: Ministry of Defence

Service Personnel (Ukraine)

Sammy Wilson Excerpts
Wednesday 25th February 2015

(9 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Michael Fallon Portrait Michael Fallon
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At the moment, we are bearing the cost of the training, and the costs involved in gifting any non-lethal equipment will be borne by my budget. So far as the Libyan training is concerned, I am afraid that I have to tell my right hon. Friend that although the Libyan Government had committed to pay for it, they have not quite paid for it all yet.

Sammy Wilson Portrait Sammy Wilson (East Antrim) (DUP)
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We must all be concerned by the expansionist tendencies of the Putin regime, and it is therefore important to provide a robust response to the situation in Ukraine, but if we are going to train troops there, would not the logical step be to give them the wherewithal to use that training? Why are we not in a position to consider making equipment available to them as well?

Michael Fallon Portrait Michael Fallon
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We have not taken that decision. The equipment that we have supplied is non-lethal; essentially it is to help the Ukrainian armed forces to protect themselves better and to reduce the number of casualties. We do, however, reserve the right to keep that position under review.