A British special forces veteran says disgraced Prime Minister Boris Johnson has not thought through his claim that UK troops should be sent to Ukraine immediately

One of the UK’s most experienced SAS veterans has branded Boris Johnson ’s ‘boots on the ground’ in Ukraine demands a “foolish and an escalative gamble”.

Robert Craft, an SAS man for 14 years who served globally, slammed the suggestion, saying peace-mission UK forces should not be sent to Ukraine until a settlement on the war is signed.

It came after the disgraced former PM declared: "If we can have a plan for boots on the ground after the war, after Putin has condescended to have a ceasefire, then why not do it now? We've always delayed needlessly. We've then ended up giving the Ukrainians what they have been asking for, and actually it's always served to their advantage and to the disadvantage of Putin.”

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The British government hopes along with the “coalition of the willing” to send peace-keeping troops to Ukraine - but only if there is a deal to end the war first. UK defence secretary John Healey said recently: “I want to be the defence secretary who deploys British troops to Ukraine – because this will mean that this war is finally over.

“It will mean we have negotiated peace in Ukraine. And a secure Europe needs a strong, sovereign Ukraine.” Mr Craft, now 67, who joined the SAS after serving as a paratrooper, became an Joint Commission Observer operating at high levels during the Bosnian conflict, giving him direct experience of negotiating and operating in active war zones.

He worked extensively in past conflicts including Bosnia, Kosovo, Northern Ireland, Iraq and the Gulf War - plus being deployed globally on covert missions. He said: "People need to understand the reality on the ground, that even if we send what are being called 'non-combat' troops to areas that seem safe right now, there is no such thing as a risk-free zone in a country that’s still at war with Russia.

"Every single person we put there will need to be armed, will need armoured vehicles, logistics, medical support teams, evacuations and Response teams on standby, and will require a significant force protection package to keep them safe. That takes resources we simply don’t have to spare for long term operations right now."

Drawing on his time in Bosnia, where international forces faced complex threats from multiple armed groups and had to navigate delicate political and legal frameworks, Craft outlined the dangers that could face UK troops in Ukraine. They range from direct Russian military action designed to provoke a NATO response, to armed insurgent groups operating with plausible deniability from Moscow, and the ever-present danger of drone strikes, cyber attacks and targeted assassinations.

He added: "Having worked in Bosnia when tensions were running high between warring factions and international forces, I know first-hand how quickly a situation can spiral out of control.

“We had to plan for every eventuality, and even then, threats emerged that nobody had foreseen. The same will be true in Ukraine – you simply cannot predict how things will play out, especially without a formal peace agreement in place.

"Each and every one of these scenarios needs detailed planning, clear rules of engagement, and proper training – but what concerns me most is the legal mess we’re setting our young men and women up for. The rest of Europe’s armies operate under the International Law of Armed Conflict – a tried and tested framework that’s been developed over centuries to deal with the brutal realities of war.

“But the UK, despite not being part of the EU any longer, is insisting on applying the European Convention on Human Rights standards in conflict zones. Confidence in Whitehall’s ability to get this right is rock bottom among those of us who’ve been there and done it.

We’ve seen what happened after Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan – brave men and women who put their lives on the line being dragged through the courts years, sometimes decades, after the fact. The historical legacy is deeply concerning, and it’s already having a chilling effect on recruitment and retention in our armed forces."

Craft, who recently spoke out about veterans facing ongoing investigations over their service in Northern Ireland, said the current approach could leave future generations of British soldiers vulnerable to "lawfare" – legal challenges brought long after operations have ended, with potentially devastating consequences for them.

He said: "Imagine it’s 2056 – thirty years from now. A soldier who served in Ukraine is in his fifties, trying to get on with his life. Then out of nowhere, he’s hauled into court because someone claims he didn’t properly consider ECHR rules when he shot an insurgent who was trying to kill him or attack his base.

“That’s not speculation – that’s exactly what we’ve seen happen to veterans from previous conflicts, and it’s a stain on how this country treats those who serve it." He added: "We need to be realistic about the situations we’re putting our service people in.

“They deserve clarity, they deserve proper protection both on the ground and when they come home, and they deserve a government that plans properly rather than making impulsive decisions that could have consequences for generations to come. Until there’s a ceasefire negotiated between Ukraine and Russia, sending our troops in would be a step too far."