British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on Friday a new multibillion-dollar aid package for Ukraine during a surprise visit to Kyiv, where he vowed British support for a decade.
The pledge came at a crucial time for Ukraine, as its allies in Brussels and Washington struggle to secure funding while Russia bolsters its weapon stockpiles and the ranks of its armed forces.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the "unprecedented" 10-year security cooperation agreement, as well as the £2.5 billion ($3.2 billion) in new military aid earmarked for 2024.
The aid includes a wide range of arms and ammunition, like artillery shells and drones, that are in short supply in Ukraine, nearly two years into the grinding war.
Sunak urged other Western countries to double down on their support for Ukraine.
'Embolden' Putin
The UK package will include "more air defense equipment, more anti-tank weapons, more long-range missiles, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and artillery shells," Sunak added.
London will also train "thousands more Ukrainian servicemen," he said, and allocate £200 million to build thousands more drones — "the single largest package of drones given to Ukraine by any nation."
The aid came as Ukraine has warned it is in dire need of air defense capabilities to fend off increased aerial attacks.
He also said the UK believed that Ukraine should be in NATO at a time when Kyiv has expressed frustration that it has not received sufficient security guarantees from the US-led defense alliance.
Zelensky said that if Ukraine had been given security guarantees — like the 10-year pledge of support — after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, "there would have been no Russian aggression at all."
Sunak had earlier said his trip was intended to "send a strong signal of support to the Ukrainian people," adding that Putin "needs to recognize we're not going anywhere."
The latest commitment takes the UK's overall support for Ukraine's war efforts to nearly £12 billion.
British equipment already supplied to Kyiv includes Storm Shadow cruise missiles and a squadron of Challenger 2 tanks.
With AFP
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