New UK defense secretary suggests British training of Ukrainian soldiers could move into Ukraine

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s new defense secretary has suggested that British military training of Ukrainian soldiers could take place in western Ukraine. More than 23,500 recruits from Ukraine have received combat training at army bases across the U.K. since the start of 2022. Earlier this year, the U.K. government committed to training another 20,000. In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said he was in discussion with the British army about “eventually getting the training brought closer and actually into Ukraine as well.” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was quick to rule out speculation of an imminent deployment of British forces. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev claimed Shapps was pushing “towards a Third World War.”