British PM Rishi Sunak visits Ukraine to give aid and reassurances of West’s support against Russia

British PM Rishi Sunak visits Ukraine to give aid and reassurances of West’s support against Russia
  • PublishedJanuary 13, 2024

Mr Sunak announced the package while in Kyiv, which will be provided over the next fiscal year and is the largest the UK has given to Ukraine since the war began, surpassing previous annual commitments by 200 million pounds ($381 million), the British government said.

“I am here today with one message: The UK will … not falter,” Mr Sunak said.

“We will stand with Ukraine, in their darkest hours and in the better times to come.”

The package will pay for long-range missiles, thousands of drones, air defence, artillery ammunition and maritime security, according to Mr Sunak’s office.

It comes at a time when other financial aid from the US and Europe is tied up by political wrangling.

“We are not walking away,” Mr Sunak said at a news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Side profiles of Rishi Sunak and Volodimir Zelenskyy behind him.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met to announce the package.(Reuters: Stefan Rousseau)

Ukrainian officials welcomed the UK announcement, pointing to it as evidence that Western support for its fight against its bigger neighbour is not waning, as some have feared.

“This is a signal to the world: Ukraine is not alone,” Mr Zelenskyy said.

Mr Sunak and Mr Zelenskyy signed a bilateral security agreement for the next 10 years.

It will remain in effect until Ukraine acquires its hoped-for NATO membership, Mr Zelenskyy said.

Details of the agreement are to be released later, officials said.

Kyiv has been urging the West to send more of the kind of aid the UK is providing as the grinding war brings little change along the front line and both sides turn to long-range strikes.

UK to provide largest drone package yet

Mr Sunak said he made Ukraine his first foreign trip of the year to send a “strong signal” of support, representing “the seriousness of the situation here and our determination to stand with Ukraine” amid competing claims for international attention.

Russian President Vladimir Putin “needs to recognise we’re not going anywhere,” he said.

“We are here for Ukraine to win,” Mr Sunak said.

“If Putin wins in Ukraine, he will not stop there.”

An exploding object is seen against a pale blue sky over the city at twilight
Drones have become a key battlefield weapon in Ukraine.(Reuters: Gleb Garanich)

Mr Sunak first visited Ukraine in November 2022, soon after he became prime minister, and Britain is one of Ukraine’s most vocal backers. It is the second-biggest donor of military aid to Ukraine after the US.

Ukraine and Russia are seeking to replenish their arsenals this year, military analysts say, in anticipation of possible major ground offensives in 2025.

Mr Sunak said the UK aid was the biggest single package from any nation for drones, which have become a key battlefield weapon.

Most of the drones are expected to be manufactured in the UK, with the Ministry of Defence working with international partners to significantly scale up the number of drones provided for Ukraine’s defence. 

The roughly 1,500-kilometre front line has been largely static during winter, and both Ukraine and Russia need artillery shells, missiles and drones that enable longer-range strikes.

Ukraine says Moscow is receiving artillery shells and missiles from North Korea and drones from Iran.

On January 4, the White House cited US intelligence officials as saying that Russia acquired ballistic missiles from North Korea and is seeking them from Iran.

Mr Zelenskyy has warned that Ukraine particularly needs air defence systems.

Recent Russian barrages — more than 500 drones and missiles were fired between December 29 and January 2, according to officials in Kyiv — are using up Ukraine’s resources and leaving it vulnerable.

Mr Sunak says the UK recognises that Ukrainian security “is our security”, as Kyiv’s forces stand up to Mr Putin.

“Today we are going further — increasing our military aid, delivering thousands of cutting-edge drones, and signing a historic new security agreement to provide Ukraine with the assurances it needs for the long term.

SOURCE: ABCNEWS

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