Security shouldn’t be about political posturing. It should be about capability, cooperation, and deterrence.

The UK has rejected access to the EU’s €150bn SAFE defence fund — a serious mistake.

At a time of increased aggression from Russia and other hostile powers, turning away from coordinated European rearmament is deeply short-sighted.

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This cannot continue. The UK Government must ensure it does not enable violations of international law.

The former leader of the Liberal Democrats, Paddy Ashdown, served as the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, and he is fondly remembered for his vital work in the region.

This is why I have been calling for the UK to rejoin the peacekeeping mission Operation Althea. We withdrew as part of Brexit because it is led by the EU, even though it includes several non-EU countries. This was short-sighted, and renewed British engagement would be welcomed.

Fortunately, peace was brought to the region and the interethnic conflict ended. Unfortunately, Bosnia now faces a new challenge from Republika Srpska — a separatist region, supported by Vladimir Putin, that seeks to reopen the conflicts of the past. We must not allow this to happen.

Those of us with longer memories can recall the horror of the Yugoslav wars. Their darkest moment was the Srebrenica massacre — the first legally recognised genocide in Europe since the end of the Second World War.