The disaster of Ukraine — Europe, habit and hubris

Join us for Sacred Cows' next event where military analyst Frank Ledwidge will be looking at the dire consequences of the failure of British and Western governments to develop a meaningful strategy in Ukraine. With Ukraine's front lines under increasing pressure, and the prospect looming ever closer of being forced to accept a peace settlement that would cede large amounts of its territory to Russia, the talk will examine the ongoing consequences and likely long-term effects of Western misunderstanding of the war. Frank will discuss how as with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we delivered open-ended promises upon which we could never deliver. He will also reflect on the likely long-term implications for European security and Western credibility.

Frank Ledwidge is one of the UK’s most incisive analysts of modern warfare and British military capability. A former military intelligence officer, he served on frontline military operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan, and later for the FCO advising on security and justice in the Former Soviet Union including extensively in Ukraine. He is Senior Lecturer in Military Strategy and Law at the University of Portsmouth, delivering professional military education at the RAF Academy. Frank is the author of major works on British military performance—Losing Small Wars, Investment in Blood, Rebel Law, Aerial Warfare, and the recent Ground Truth—texts widely used across Western defence academies. A frequent contributor to national and international media and parliamentary inquiries, he brings operational insight and strategic clarity to debates on the strengths, limits, and future of British military power.

The talk will take place in the upstairs room of the Sekforde pub in Clerkenwell, London. Doors to the upstairs room will open at 6:30 and the talk will start at 7, will last for roughly 40 minutes and will be followed by questions after a short break. Then for those who want to stay, more drinks and discussion in the pub.

Sacred Cows is a talks series in London dedicated to investigating the evidence behind contemporary ideas that can often seem immune from criticism. Sign up to our mailing list for future events or follow us on twitter. You can watch our talks on our YouTube channel, or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also copy our RSS link manually into your preferred podcast app.