Veterans’ minister Al Carns, who served as a special forces colonel, has accused Nigel Farage of weakening Britain by vowing to vote against deploying troops to Ukraine
12:39, 10 Jan 2026Updated 12:40, 10 Jan 2026
Nigel Farage is accused of weakening Britain by vowing to vote against deploying troops to Ukraine(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
A Labour minister who served as a special forces colonel has accused Nigel Farage of weakening Britain by vowing to vote against deploying troops to Ukraine.
Veterans’ minister Al Carns, who was awarded the Military Cross in 2011, said having worn the uniform, he knows what it is like to place “your trust and your life” in political leaders back home.
He said the Reform UK leader’s comments are unpatriotic because Britain’s national security relies on defending democracy beyond its own borders. And the former Marine, who served and led during four Afghanistan tours, warned that Mr Farage’s position serves nobody but Russian despot Vladimir Putin.
On Tuesday Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron signed a statement of intent to send troops into Ukraine if a peace deal is reached. This would see a “multinational force for Ukraine” deployed to prevent future attacks from Russia. MPs in the UK will get a vote on sending troops to Ukraine.
READ MORE: Nigel Farage savaged for ‘parroting Kremlin lines’ after Ukraine vote vowREAD MORE: Russian citizens urged ‘prepare for Armageddon’ after nuclear WW3 threat to UK
(Image: PA)
On Wednesday, Mr Farage, who skipped Prime Minister’s Questions to go on the radio, said: “It would be a very interesting vote. I would vote against. We neither have the manpower nor the equipment to go into an operation that clearly has no ending timeline.”
Writing in The Mirror today, Mr Carns said: “When Mr Farage dismisses serious discussions about collective security, he is not standing up for Britain – he is weakening it. Our national security rests on strong alliances, credible deterrence, and the willingness to defend democratic values beyond our own borders. Ignoring these realities serves no one but Vladimir Putin.”
The Labour MP for Birmingham Selly Oak continued: “I have worn this country’s uniform. I know what it means to place your trust – and your life – in the decisions taken by political leaders back home.
“Nigel Farage’s refusal to stand with the Prime Minister in supporting Ukraine tells us everything we need to know about the kind of leader he really is.
“When a brutal, authoritarian regime is attempting to redraw Europe’s borders by force, Mr Farage’s immediate declaration that he would vote against sending British troops to Ukraine as part of a peace settlement – is not principled restraint.
“It is an abdication of responsibility. It is walking away when leadership is required. Evading our moral duty to help secure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine is not patriotism – it is politics without courage. It is a failure to rise to the role he seeks to play.”
Be the first with news from Mirror Politics
BLUESKY: Follow our Mirror Politics account on Bluesky here. And follow our Mirror Politics team here – Lizzy Buchan, Mikey Smith, Ashley Cowburn, Alexander Brown, Sophie Huskisson and Dave Burke.
POLITICS WHATSAPP: Be first to get the biggest bombshells and breaking news by joining our Politics WhatsApp group here. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you want to leave our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
NEWSLETTER: Or sign up here to the Mirror’s Politics newsletter for all the best exclusives and opinions straight to your inbox.
PARTY GAMES: Watch our new YouTube series ‘Party Games’ where we play games with MPs, hosted by the Mirror’s Sophie Huskisson
And in a plea to British voters, Mr Carns said: “This is a serious moment for our country. It is one that demands true leadership. When democracy is under attack, choosing to look the other way is not neutrality – it is a choice. And it is a choice our adversaries are all too eager to exploit.”
Mr Carns also highlighted that Mr Farage’s refusal to support the deployment of troops to Ukraine comes after the conviction of Nathan Gill, Reform’s former leader in Wales, who was last year sentenced to over ten years in prison for taking bribes to promote pro-Russian propaganda in the European Parliament. He added: “Mr Farage’s latest comments reflect a broader pattern of Reform UK parroting Kremlin talking points.”
As part of peace plans, the UK and France would establish military hubs on Ukrainian soil and build protected facilities for weapons and military equipment to help Kyiv defend itself.
In a significant step forward, Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff this week said the US President has agreed to get behind the security guarantees – and was prepared to deter Russian attacks and even defend Ukraine if peace is breached.
Mr Starmer said: “It’s important we’re starting the year like this – European and American allies, side by side with President Zelensky, standing for peace. And we are closer to that goal than ever. But of course, the hardest yards are still ahead.”
Former Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov said the declaration had “changed the game” and left Putin unsure what he will do next.