Vertical landing drops staight in from the sky, and comes to an immediate halt. These planes just need a strip of concrete wider & longer than the plane itself. Realistically you could comfortably put one down on a motorway service station carpark, and then lay a short portable runway along its off-ramp for takeoff.
> Realistically you could comfortably put one down on a motorway service station carpark
I'm sure the exceptionally canny operators of motorway service stations would find a way to make some extra money off them then. Come for a coffee, stay for a jet launch.
With Ukraine you want the plane to take off from Ukraine, not the UK, or else it is seen as direct involvement. So the plane takes off from the UK, lands in the motorway somewhere near Keeeev and then the Ukrainian pilot hops on, to carry out the mission.
He then lands on the highway again, the plane stays still for the British pilot to get in, he does so, flying up to meet a tanker over Poo land to then get home by teatime.
The UK has 30 F-35Bs, ~50 RAF bases, and over 200 airports. (mostly hastily built WW2 airfields kept in operation by local flying clubs [1]) Every country within the plane's operating range except Switzerland and Ireland is a NATO ally.
We can disperse the fighter jets without needing to resort to landing on roads.
I nearly broke a spring from a dipped pothole on the M6 south.
Not to forget all the smart motorway signs every 100 meters and signboards overhead, will make a landing "interesting".