The United Kingdom will provide an additional £ 1.3 billion in military support to Ukraine, in a dramatic escalation of aid to Vladimir Zelensky’s forces as it fights the Russian invasion.
The new funding comes in addition to existing UK support for Kyiv of 1.5 billion pounds, which includes about 400 million pounds of humanitarian aid and grants to the Ukrainian government and the unlocking of more than 700 million pounds in additional loans from the World Bank through guarantees for loans.
This is the highest percentage of UK military spending on conflict since the height of the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “The situation in Ukraine continues to cause great suffering, bringing new, tragic stories of Putin’s brutality every day.
“We are unwavering in our support for the people of Ukraine – and this additional £ 1.3 billion will ensure that we continue to provide the necessary military and operational support they need to defend themselves against Putin.
“The United Kingdom is at the forefront of providing economic, humanitarian and defense support to Ukraine, and we are working tirelessly to end this conflict.
The additional funding has been withdrawn from the UK’s reserves – funds the government has set aside for the most urgent emergencies – and includes a £ 300m military set announced by Boris Johnson earlier this week.
Electronic warfare equipment includes anti-battery radar system, GPS jamming equipment and thousands of night-vision devices.
Boris Johnson and other G7 leaders will meet virtually with Zelensky on Sunday to discuss further proposed support, as well as further sanctions against Russia.
The prime minister and defense minister will also host a meeting of leading defense companies later this month to discuss increasing production in response to increased demand created by the conflict in Ukraine and the global shift from Russian-made weapons.
Mr Johnson said: “Putin’s brutal attack is not only causing indescribable devastation in Ukraine, but also threatening peace and security throughout Europe.
“The United Kingdom was the first country to recognize the scale of the threat and send weapons to help Ukrainians defend themselves. We will support this effort by working with our allies to ensure that Ukraine can continue to repel the Russian invasion and survive as a free and democratic country.
“In this process, we are strengthening our own security and economy by turbocharging the development and production of modern defense equipment here in the United Kingdom.
In the United States, Mr. Biden promised a package that included artillery shells, radar and other military equipment.
Sunday’s virtual meeting of G7 leaders on CoE Day could also discuss additional sanctions against Russia.
The White House sees the meeting as a way to demonstrate Western unity on the eve of the traditional May 9 victory parade in Moscow.
There has been speculation that the Russian president had hoped to use the symbolically important date to highlight his success in Ukraine, but fierce resistance from Kyiv forces has thwarted any such allegations.
The UK Ministry of Defense has said that Russia’s ability to fight modern technology has been hampered by losses in Ukraine and the impact of sanctions.
The defense ministry said at least one of Russia’s most advanced T-90M tanks had been destroyed in combat, while sanctions restricted access to microelectronic components for complex equipment.
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