Does the UK need to change its defence strategy after the Ukraine war?

A little earlier, we told you about a report in the Financial Times that the EU was proposing to sabotage Hungary's economy if Budapest blocks further aid for Ukraine this week. Meanwhile, Indian thinktank Observer Research Foundation's Russia expert, Nandan Unnikrishnan, said India was unlikely to sign "any major military deal" with Russia because it would cross a red line with the US. "A frank and constructive dialogue is expected to improve relations between states," the Ukrainian president's office said on its official channel on the Telegram messaging app alongside a photo of Mr Szijjarto, Mr Kuleba and Mr Yermak.

Before the war, it was expected that one of the first lines of attack from Russia in any conflict would be a major cyber assault, both on Russia's opposing combatant, and potentially on its allies. So far, that has yet to happen, with relatively few reported cyber attacks linked to Russia in the last few months. But Air Vice Marshal Bell, who previously headed a strategic combat review for the RAF, says the reasons for this are not clear. Assuming both sides weren't annihilated by nuclear weapons, they assumed a Soviet invasion would lead to a war in western Europe, and trained and equipped UK forces would need to counter that threat.

But beyond the Johnsonian rhetoric the 2021 document was quite clear-sighted about UK interests. It pledged to support an “open and resilient international order” but warned that “to be open we must also be secure” and of increasing competition between states and a fragmented international order. To that end the review already committed to exceeding NATO spending commitments, and the UK playing its part in multilateral governance and collective security in a more hard-nosed way.

• Many people's reaction to stock market changes is that they are not directly affected, because they don't invest money in stocks and shares.
• The Russia-Ukraine conflict has so far driven these even higher and caused the price of oil to jump to level in almost 14 years, while wholesale gas prices have more than doubled.
• Hungary and Slovakia both say they are ready to welcome refugees and are sending extra troops to manage the likely influx at additional crossings set up on their borders with Ukraine.
• Serious discussion of defence spending, procurement and supply will be a new reality for the government for years to come.

Plane fuel is also linked to the price of crude oil and Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has warned tickets for this summer will be higher than 2019, partly because of the rise in the price of oil. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has so far driven these even higher and caused the price of oil to jump to level in almost 14 years, while wholesale gas prices have more than doubled. Balazs Orban, chief political aide to the prime minister, said Hungary sent a proposal to the EU over the weekend showing it was open to using the budget for the aid package if other "caveats" were added.

What does the Ukraine war mean for the UK? How Russia invasion and Putin sanctions can affect life in UK

Forces are on standby in eastern Europe, and Nato is working with Ukraine to modernise its forces and protect it against cyber attacks. https://euronewstop.co.uk/why-doesnt-ukraine-attack-moscow.html might use the crisis to launch cyber and other hybrid attacks on Nato countries. It could even send troops to the three Baltic countries - Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania.

• Russia has gradually built up a force of close to 190,000 troops around the Ukrainian border over the last few weeks but maintained that it had no intention to invade – until last night.
• "A frank and constructive dialogue is expected to improve relations between states," the Ukrainian president's office said on its official channel on the Telegram messaging app alongside a photo of Mr Szijjarto, Mr Kuleba and Mr Yermak.
• The sharp rise in the prices of things from oil and metals to wheat is expected to push up the cost of many everyday items from food to petrol and heating.
• It could even send troops to the three Baltic countries - Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania.
• However, he warned of "chaos" if European states do not show enough unity and determination.

Hungary and Slovakia both say they are ready to welcome refugees and are sending extra troops to manage the likely influx at additional crossings set up on their borders with Ukraine. The defence alliance, which counts the UK, US and many European countries as members, has also condemned Belarus for "enabling" the attack. But that troops being sent to Europe "would defend Nato allies" - which includes countries like Poland who share a border with Ukraine.

Mr Johnson promised to hit Russia with a “massive” package of sanctions designed to “hobble” the economy in Moscow. This is because Nato uses a system of collective security, whereby its independent member states agree to mutual defence in response to an attack by any external party. If Ukraine was part of Nato, the military alliance which is made up of 30 member states, including the US and UK, every Nato nation would have to launch an armed attack against Russia. "This renewed attack is a grave violation of international law, including the UN Charter," Nato said. But we now see more clearly that, in a crisis, for the foreseeable future UK interests are aligned with the US and Europe, especially if China aligns itself more with Russia. The revival of NATO’s purpose and a unified western response have been a necessary if painful reminder of where UK interests truly lie.