London:
Britain on Thursday unveiled a package deal of £163;225 million ($286 million) in new army support to Ukraine for subsequent yr, together with drones, boats and air defence methods.
The transfer got here after the UK’s Defence Secretary John Healey visited Kyiv on Wednesday, holding talks together with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov and vowing to step up British help to Ukraine in 2025.
Three years since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine “the depths of his miscalculation are clearer than ever, because the courageous folks of Ukraine proceed to defy all expectations with their unbreakable spirit,” Healey mentioned.
“However they can’t go it alone,” Healey added, vowing the UK’s help for Kyiv was “ironclad” and Britain would all the time stand “shoulder to shoulder to make sure Putin can not win”.
In July, the brand new Labour authorities vowed to commit £163;3 billion a yr in army support to Ukraine till 2030-2031.
The brand new package deal will embrace £92 million for gear to bolster Ukraine’s navy, together with small boats, reconnaissance drones and uncrewed floor vessels, the defence ministry mentioned in an announcement.
An additional £163;68 million shall be used for air defence gear together with radars, and 1,000 counter-drone digital warfare methods at a price of £163;39 million can be provided to the Ukrainian military.
Healey mentioned the UK would additionally increase a coaching programme for Ukrainian troopers run with key allies on British soil often called Operation Interflex, below which 51,000 recruits have been skilled since mid-2022.
“With Putin resorting to sending as many as 2,000 Russian troopers to their deaths on the battlefield every day, it’s important that Ukraine is supported with a provide of correctly skilled and outfitted troopers,” the ministry assertion mentioned.
Umerov thanked the UK for its help and mentioned in an announcement that the “secure supply of ammunition, particularly for artillery, is critically necessary for our defence efforts”.
He added the 2 males had reviewed the outcomes of using Storm Shadow missiles, with out offering particulars.
London gave Kyiv the inexperienced gentle to launch the UK-supplied, long-range missiles into Russia for the primary time in November.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was on account of meet NATO chief Mark Rutte and key European leaders in Brussels late Wednesday to strategise over Russia’s conflict forward of Donald Trump’s return to energy in the USA.
Western backers are searching for to shore up Ukraine’s forces as Kyiv’s fatigued troops are shedding floor throughout the frontline and Moscow has deployed North Koreans to the battlefield.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
