UK to provide 1.3 billion pounds of further military support to Ukraine

By Andrew MacAskill

LONDON – Britain stated it could present an additional 1.3 billion kilos ($1.60 billion) in navy help and help to Ukraine, making the pledge forward of a deliberate video name on Sunday by Group of Seven leaders with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Prime Minister Johnson has been one of many strongest supporters of Ukraine’s efforts to withstand Russian forces since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion on Feb. 24. Johnson’s authorities has despatched anti-tank missiles, air defence programs and different weapons to Ukraine.

The brand new pledge nearly doubles Britain’s earlier spending commitments on Ukraine and the federal government stated that is the very best price of spending on a battle because the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, though it didn't give particulars of this calculation.

“Putin’s brutal assault shouldn't be solely inflicting untold devastation in Ukraine – it's also threatening peace and safety throughout Europe,” Johnson stated in a press release. Final week he turned the primary Western chief to handle Ukraine’s parliament because the begin of the invasion.

The leaders of the G7 international locations – Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the USA – will maintain their digital assembly with Zelenskiy on Sunday, the day earlier than Russia marks its Victory Day vacation, which marks the tip of World Struggle Two in Europe.

Britain stated the additional spending on Ukraine will come from a reserve utilized by the federal government for emergencies.

The federal government additionally stated Johnson will host a gathering of main defence corporations later this month to debate growing manufacturing in response to elevated demand created by the conflict in Ukraine.

Whereas Britain has offered vital navy help, it has to date accepted comparatively few of the greater than 5 million Ukrainians who've fled their nation. The British authorities stated on Saturday that to date it had issued greater than 86,000 visas to Ukrainians, of whom about 27,000 had reached Britain.