Home Land Britain to announce its largest ever aid package to Ukraine
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will announce the largest-ever military aid package to Ukraine from the UK on his visit to Poland today.
He is expected to announce a £500m boost for Ukraine and largest-ever provision of vital munitions, including some 400 vehicles, 1,600 munitions and 4 million rounds of ammunition
He will meet Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to discuss deepening UK-Poland relations, and the leaders will hold talks with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Warsaw on European security and support to Ukraine. The Prime Minister will then travel on to Germany to meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin.
The £500 million additional funding announced today – which takes us to £3 billion in UK military aid for Ukraine this financial year – will be used to rapidly deliver urgently-needed ammunition, air defence, drones and engineering support. The drones will be procured in the UK and the funds will support a scale-up in domestic defence supply chains.
The Ministry of Defence will also send our largest-ever single package of equipment from the UK, designed to help push back the Russian invasion on land, sea and air.
It includes, according to a press release, the following:
60 boats including offshore raiding craft, rigid raiding craft and dive boats as well as maritime guns
More than 1,600 strike and air defence missiles, as well as additional Storm Shadow long-range precision-guided missiles.
More than 400 vehicles, including 160 protected mobility ‘Husky’ vehicles, 162 armoured vehicles and 78 all-terrain vehicles.
Nearly 4 million rounds of small arms ammunition.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:
“Defending Ukraine against Russia’s brutal ambitions is vital for our security and for all of Europe. If Putin is allowed to succeed in this war of aggression, he will not stop at the Polish border. I am in Warsaw today to deepen ties with our Polish partners and commit critical new military support for Ukraine’s defence. Ukraine’s armed forces continue to fight bravely, but they need our support – and they need it now. The package presented today will help ensure that Ukraine has what it needs to lead the fight against Russia. The UK will always play a leading role in European security, protecting our national interests and working alongside our NATO allies.
Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said:
“This record military aid package will give President Zelensky and his brave nation more of the material they need needed to expel Putin and restore peace and stability in Europe. The UK was the first country to supply NLAW missiles, the first country to supply modern tanks and the first country to deploy long-range missiles. Now we go even further. We will never let the world forget the fight for survival that Ukraine is engaged in, and with our continued support, it will win.
