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Hello, I'm Alyssa McCarthy.

Thanks for downloading the Yesterday in Parliament podcast.

On Wednesday the 5th of March, there was an unusually quiet session of Prime Minister's

questions as Kemi Badenock and Sakea Stama united over the war in Ukraine.

The art of diplomacy often lies in what's not said,

and the name of US Vice President J.D. Vance did not even pass Sakea Stama's lips as he opened

PMQs. Mr Speaker, tomorrow marks 13 years since six young British soldiers were on patrol in Afghanistan

when their vehicle was struck by an explosive, tragically killing them all.

The Prime Minister named them, along with the Royal Marine, killed in Hellmand in Afghanistan, 18 years ago.

These men fought and died for their country, our country.

And across the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, 642 individuals died fighting for Britain alongside

our allies.

That tribute came just days after J.D. Vance said that a US stake in Ukraine's economy was a better security guarantee than 20,000 troops from a random country that hasn't fought a war in 30 or 40 years.

He didn't say who he meant, but both the UK and France have floated the idea of putting boots on the ground as part of any peace deal.

Sakea Stama's comments were greeted with murmurs of approval,

and the consensual mood continued when the Conservative leader, Kemi Badernock,

asked about the safety of British forces if they were deployed.

If British peacekeeping troops in Ukraine were attacked,

whether directly or via proxies, we could be drawn into

conflict with Russia. Can the Prime Minister reassure all those who are concerned about the UK

being drawn into war? The Prime Minister told her that was the last thing anyone wanted.

...