While the United States remains the largest provider of military aid to Ukraine, many observers argue that the UK's support for training Ukrainian soldiers is proving to have a big impact on the battlefield.
In the midst of Ukraine's bitter war, the UK has positioned itself as a key ally, standing firmly by the warring country and bolstering its defenses with an impressive array of state-of-the-art weapon systems.
As well as providing advanced weaponry, the UK has undertaken the task of training over 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers every 120 days.
Indicative of the British military's prowess, an earlier report highlighted a training exercise in which British commandos of the Royal Marines forced US Marine Corps troops, often regarded as the best in the world, into surrender.
According to the report, the combat exercise was aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of the deployment of the Littoral Response Group (LRG) in a guerrilla warfare environment.
The exercise took place at a specialized facility on America's west coast, (a massive battlefield facility in the California desert), pitting the LRG against well-equipped opponents from the US Marine Corps.
LRG South, a Royal Navy task force based in Oman, is part of a new initiative involving commando forces capable of rapidly responding to global events. In a remarkable display of valor, LRG South emerged victorious in a five-day exercise codenamed 'Green Dagger'.
The operation involved working with allied forces from the United States, Canada, the United Arab Emirates and the Netherlands as they engaged in a simulated battle against the US Marine Corps.
The commandos and their allies executed daring raids behind enemy lines, infiltrating Marine Corps positions, targeting critical elements vital to their defenses, and coordinating attacks.
Europe under the leadership of the United Kingdom
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has prompted various countries around the world to help the Ukrainian military. While the United States certainly played a role in this endeavour, recent analysis shows that Europe led by the United Kingdom has been just as active in supporting Ukraine.
According to experts cited in the analysis, Europe's contribution was more important than that of the United States in several key aspects.
For example, in 2022, the UK alone trained around 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers, more than three times the number trained by the United States.
The analysis highlights how the participation of European countries in providing aid and training to the Ukrainian army has been impressive and influential. They stressed the importance of recognizing these countries' efforts to help Ukraine, particularly in light of the ongoing conflict and uncertainty.
Through their field studies, two scholars revealed a remarkable trend: European countries took primary responsibility for hosting and providing basic combat training to newly recruited Ukrainian soldiers after the Russian invasion.
Surprisingly, these training programs have been conducted without direct involvement from the United States.
In a five-week training course, UK-led Operation Interflex successfully transformed civilians into capable soldiers, equipping them with the skills needed to take on the Russian military.
