UK extends Ukrainian troop training amid push to strengthen army

Ellen Milligan, Bloomberg News on Aug 23, 2025

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The U.K. will extend its training program for Ukrainian solders in an effort to help Kyiv strengthen its army ahead of any European and U.S.-backed security guarantees linked to a potential peace deal.

The Interflex program, which offers combat and leadership training, will be extended until the end of 2026 at the earliest, the Ministry of Defense said Saturday. Work toward a potential peace deal between Ukraine and Russia has gathered momentum this week, with U.S. and European military chiefs meeting to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine.

A UK- and France-led “Coalition of the Willing” has developed plans to deploy a multinational military force to Ukraine to deter attacks after a peace deal. The MoD said meetings in recent months have involved more than 200 military planners and input from about 30 countries.

The first stage of the package being drawn up would bolster Ukraine’s military with training and reinforcements, Bloomberg reported this week. Those forces would be supported by the multinational group of mostly European troops, to be stationed in Ukraine away from the front line. A further part of the plan calls for a so-called U.S. backstop, which would contribute intelligence sharing, border surveillance, weaponry and possibly air defenses.

More than 50,000 Ukrainian recruits have been trained in Britain under Interflex so far.

“We will continue to step up our support alongside allies, so that Ukraine can defend today and deter tomorrow,” said Defense Secretary John Healey. “In the face of ongoing Russian attacks, we must put Ukraine’s Armed Forces in the strongest possible position. And as the push for peace continues, we must make the Ukrainians into the strongest possible deterrent to secure that future peace.”