Meet the new ‘Mr Ukraine’ at the head of Britain’s military

RAMSTEIN, Germany — The United Kingdom’s new defense secretary has described steadfast support for Ukraine as his “number one priority,” even as Britain faces up to severe military challenges of its own.
John Healey, who took over the role in July when Labour won its first election in 14 years, flew to Germany to meet allies in the shadow of dire warnings about the state of British public finances as his government prepares its inaugural budget.
Healey told POLITICO he was “confident” Labour could honor a commitment to increase defense spending and “make the decisions that allow us to set out a long-term plan to make our forces better equipped to fight and to deter the threats we face.”
However, he added, “this isn’t going to happen overnight” due to “the inheritance of the last 14 years, which certainly is … worse than we thought.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has not yet set a date for meeting Labour’s promise of spending 2.5 percent of national income on defense while the new government grapples with bleak spending tradeoffs against the backdrop of renewed Russian aggression in Europe. 
The Ministry of Defence is currently in a holding pattern while former NATO Secretary General George Robertson carries out a “root and branch” review of defense spending, expected to report in the first part of 2025. 
“I’m proud the U.K. has been united in support of Ukraine, and I was determined and Keir Starmer was determined that would continue with a Labour government,” Healey said, speaking aboard an RAF plane to Ramstein, Germany, where he will attend his first meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group Friday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is attending the summit fresh from carrying out his government reshuffle.
Healey flew to the U.S. air base direct from rain-lashed Portsmouth, in the south of England, where he met personnel aboard the Destroyer HMS Diamond — recently returned from deployment to the Red Sea, where it helped repel the threat to shipping from Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
He was aboard the ship as news broke that a Royal Navy crew member had been killed in a training exercise over the Channel, observing after meeting the ship’s company: “For everyone connected with the armed forces this is news that people dread.”
To coincide with the summit in Germany, the U.K. is announcing 650 multi-role missile systems worth £162 million to boost Ukraine’s air defenses.
The MoD expects this to be followed by a bigger order next year, to eventually number thousands of missiles.
During his trip, the defense secretary will confirm the extension of Operation Interflex, the U.K’s training program for the Ukrainian armed forces, government officials told POLITICO exclusively. The program which has so far assisted 45,000 recruits will now run into 2025.
The two announcements underline Healey’s push to demonstrate that the U.K. remains at the forefront of efforts to repel the Russian invasion in Ukraine since Labour took office.
Aides said his ambition was to be seen as “Mr Ukraine” of the British government, a mantle arguably held until recently by a Conservative predecessor, Ben Wallace, who won plaudits among allies for his staunch commitment to Ukraine and was at one time seen as a contender for the role of NATO secretary general. 
Healey served as shadow defense secretary in opposition, maintaining warm relations with Wallace despite being on different sides of the aisle, and wants to ensure the new government picks up where he left off.
Healey traveled to Odessa the day after taking office — during the visit he was rushed to a bomb shelter to avoid incoming missiles — and has since met his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov in London, where the pair discussed how the U.K. would ramp up support. 
The new defense chief’s message is all the more urgent as Ukraine faces the prospect of another harsh winter under bombardment by Russia. 
While the incursion into western Russia has given hope to Ukrainians, it has not changed the fundamentals of the conflict, with President Vladimir Putin holding an advantage in terms of manpower, equipment and ammunition.
Healey said the Kursk offensive had “clearly wrong-footed Putin as he left parts of his border undefended and he’s still working out what to do in response, while Ukraine is holding its own in that area.”
Ukraine is entering “a critical period” 1,000 days on from the Russian invasion, he noted, which “makes it even more important to stand with Ukraine.”
The new missiles announced by the U.K. closely reflect Ukraine’s priorities, he argued, since the “two top things” Umerov has said he wants is more ammunition and air defense.