UK to provide new £1.3 billion boost for Ukraine’s military
THE UK will provide an extra £1.3 billion in military support to Ukraine, in a dramatic escalation of assistance for Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s forces as they fight the Russian invasion.
It is the highest rate of UK military spending on a conflict since the height of the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, US President Joe Biden, and leaders from other G7 nations will hold talks with Ukrainian president Mr Zelenskyy today to discuss the further support on offer.
The £1.3bn, drawn from the UK’s reserves, includes £300 million of military kit promised by Mr Johnson earlier this week, such as anti-battery radar systems to target Russian artillery, GPS jamming equipment, and night-vision devices.
The Prime Minister will host a meeting of arms companies later this month to discuss increasing production in response to the demand created by the conflict. Officials said the announcement would help support the British arms industry, which could benefit from the global shift away from reliance on equipment from Vladimir Putin’s sanction-hit Russia.
The Prime Minister said: “Putin’s brutal attack is not only causing untold devastation in Ukraine, it is also threatening peace and security across Europe.
“The UK was the first country to recognise the scale of the threat and send arms to help the Ukrainians defend themselves.
“We will stand by that endeavour, working with our allies to ensure Ukraine can continue to push back the
Russian invasion and survive as a free and democratic country.
“In the process, we are bolstering our own security and economy, turbocharging the development and production of cutting-edge defence equipment here in the UK.”
The funding comes on top of earlier commitments worth about £1.5bn, which included some £400m in humanitarian aid and loan guarantees for £700m in additional World Bank lending.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “The situation in Ukraine continues to cause immense suffering with every day bringing new, tragic stories of Putin’s brutality.
“We are unwavering in our support for the people of Ukraine and this extra £1.3bn will ensure we continue to provide the necessary military and operational support they need to defend themselves against Putin. The UK is at the forefront providing economic, humanitarian and defensive support to Ukraine and we are working tirelessly to bring an end to this conflict.”