Britain pledged to provide additional 1.3 billion pounds ($1.60billion) in military support and assistance to Ukraine ahead of a scheduled video call by Group of Seven leaders with Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukraine’s President.
Since Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2015, Prime Minister Johnson has been a strong supporter of Ukraine’s efforts against Russian forces. Johnson’s government sent anti-tank missiles and air defense systems to Ukraine.
The pledge nearly doubles Britain’s previous commitments to Ukraine. The government stated that this was the highest level of spending on a conflict since the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan. However, it didn’t give any details about the calculation.
Johnson stated in a statement that Putin’s brutal attack was not only causing untold destruction in Ukraine but also threatening peace and security throughout Europe. He was the first Western leader to address Ukraine’s parliament since the invasion began.
On Sunday, Zelenskiy will host a virtual meeting between the leaders of the G7 countries (Britain, Canada, France and Germany), as well as the United States. This is the day before Russia celebrates its Victory Day holiday. It marks the end of World War Two in Europe.
Britain stated that the additional spending on Ukraine will be made from a reserve the government uses for emergency situations.
Johnson, according to the government, will host a meeting with top defence companies in late February to discuss increasing production to meet increased demand due to the war in Ukraine.
Although Britain has offered significant military assistance, it has only accepted a small number of the 5 million Ukrainians fleeing their country. On Saturday, the British government announced that it had granted more than 86,000 visas for Ukrainians. Of these, approximately 27,000 had reached Britain.
