Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has been torn apart by commentator Dan Hodges after claiming that there should be a "vote" among MPs on sending British troops to Ukraine.
Pressed by Christopher Hope on whether MPs should decide if troops should be deployed to Ukraine, she said: “I think that a vote would be very helpful to know exactly what it is we're voting for, what is it we're giving consent to.
"I told the Prime Minister that I was not giving him a blank cheque. Ideally, we should not be having any boots on the ground."
Dan Hodges has warned that Kemi Badenoch's call for a 'vote' on sending British troops to Ukraine will 'delight' Putin
GB News
She added: "It's not about just making an announcement, 'oh, we'll put boots on the ground'. These are lives of young British men and women. We need to look after them. We can't just send them all around the world just because we want to tell a story or make an announcement.
"We've got to look after our soldiers. We've got to look after our armed forces. So a vote would be helpful in that perspective."
Reacting to the remarks, commentator Dan Hodges told GB News that Badenoch's stance would "delight" Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
He stated: "The fact she wants a vote, I think that's fine, I think Downing Street has accepted that. I think Downing Street may actually be quite pleased about it.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Badenoch told GB News that British troops 'must be protected'
GB News
"But I think what alarms me is the implication from Kemi Badenoch that she doesn't feel British troops should be part of any security guarantee for Ukraine."
Backing Labour's pledge to have British troops on the ground in Ukraine, Hodges stressed that Badenoch's remarks would "delight" Putin.
He told GB News: "That is something that will, frankly, let's be honest, will have delighted Vladimir Putin this evening."
Defending Badenoch, former Conservative MP Sir John Redwood claimed that Putin would "not be delighted" by the Tory leader's comments.
Hodges told GB News that Badenoch's remarks may 'alarm' Downing Street
GB News
Redwood told Hodges: "I don't think it would delight Putin at all, and I'm sure that wasn't the aim. I think she's quite right to raise the issues about how many troops - how long would they be there?
"What are the rules of engagement? Would there be American air cover? Would there be Nato intelligence? What kind of backup would they have?
"Our very professional army is small and stretched, and it's used to collaborating with our Nato partners, led by the Americans."
