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The UK has announced an additional £ 1 billion ($ 1.2 billion) in military aid to Ukraine. This far exceeds the £ 1.3 billion military aid already provided to help Ukraine resist Russia’s aggression.
Additional support was announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the NATO Summit in Madrid. Russia’s invasion “continues to take the lives of Ukraine and threaten the peace and security of Europe as a whole,” said Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
“British weapons, equipment and training are transforming Ukraine’s defense against this onslaught, and we stand straight behind the Ukrainians, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin fails in Ukraine. “
With this announcement, Britain’s total military support since the outbreak of the war has reached £ 2.3 billion ($ 2.8 billion), more than any other country except the United States, the British government said.
Talking to Sky News on Thursday, Foreign Minister Liz Truss called Putin a “horrible dictator” and “must stop this war and make Vladimir Putin and Russian troops out of Ukraine an absolute priority.” Said.
“Real and constant” support
Additional military support promises come after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urges NATO leaders to do more to help his country resist the Russian invasion.
At the summit, Britain promised to fund features such as sophisticated air defense systems, drones and electronic warfare equipment.
British officials said the new support package is “the first to allow Ukraine to launch an offensive operation against the Russian Army to regain Ukraine’s sovereignty, beyond brave defenses against Russia’s illegal aggression. It represents a step. “
Defense Minister Ben Wallace said Britain’s commitment to Ukraine was “realistic and constant.”
“This military aid will help them strengthen their fight against the Russian aggression and ensure they have the defense capabilities they need,” he said.
“Irresponsible course”
At the summit, NATO called on Sweden and Finland to join the military alliance and promised to increase the number of combat units seven-fold from 2023 to increase vigilance along the eastern side of future Russian attacks.
In response, Putin said that if NATO installs infrastructure in Finland and Sweden, Russia will respond in kind.
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov blamed NATO’s “irresponsible course” and said it would “ruin European architecture, or anything left behind.”
“There is considerable doubt as to whether the upcoming period will be mild for our neighbors in Scandinavia,” he told reporters Wednesday.
PA Media and Reuters contributed to this report.
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