Britain has announced a fresh military aid package worth £450 million ($580 million) for Ukraine, as part of ongoing efforts by European allies to bolster Kyiv’s position ahead of any possible peace agreement with Russia.
According to the UK Ministry of Defence, £350 million of the new package will be drawn from Britain’s £4.5 billion military support fund for Ukraine this year, with additional contributions expected from Norway. The funding was confirmed on Friday during a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels, co-chaired by British Defence Minister John Healey and his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius.
The aid will fund vital repairs and maintenance of military vehicles and equipment, as well as provide radar systems, anti-tank mines, and hundreds of thousands of drones to enhance Ukraine’s battlefield capabilities.
“The work of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group is vital to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position and pile pressure on [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to help force him to end this terrible war,” Healey is expected to state during the meeting. “We cannot jeopardise peace by forgetting the war, which is why today’s major package will surge support to Ukraine’s frontline fight.”
The announcement follows a Thursday meeting chaired by Healey involving defence ministers from the “coalition of the willing,” a UK- and France-led initiative designed to support peacekeeping efforts in Ukraine should a settlement be reached in the ongoing conflict.
Melissa Enoch
Follow us on:
