KYIV: Visiting British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday announced £2.5 billion (3.2 billion dollars) in new military assistance for Ukraine, saying it sent a “strong signal” of UK support for the war-hit country.
The funding package for the coming year is £200 million higher than the £2.3 billion pledged per year in both 2022 and 2023.
Sunak’s office said in a statement that it will ensure the “largest ever commitment of drones”.
Strong signal of support to Ukrainian people
The UK prime minister said the aid was meant to send a strong signal of support to the Ukrainian people, AFP reported.
He added that Russian President Vladimir Putin needs to recognize we are not going anywhere.
I’m here with one clear message: the UK stands with Ukraine, Sunak said after touring damaged buildings in Kyiv.
Sunak met emergency service workers responding to the aftermath of Russian air attacks and lauded Ukrainians’ “great courage”.
He was set to ink a “historic” security cooperation pact with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky while in Kyiv, his office said.
The totemic deal should be the first step towards an unshakeable hundred-year partnership, it added.
At least £200 million of the latest assistance package is to be spent on a major push to rapidly procure and produce thousands of military drones for Kyiv, including surveillance, long-range strike and sea drones.
Sunak said the assistance currently in place was due to run through to the “early part of this year”.
