The UK will provide Ukraine with an additional £1 billion in military aid, dramatically increasing support for Volodymyr Zelensky’s defense of his country.
The new funding represents a 77% increase over the £1.3bn already provided, with Boris Johnson claiming that British aid “transformed Ukraine’s defences” against the Russian attack.
The pledge of additional military support comes after Ukraine’s president urged NATO leaders to do more to help his country resist Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
At the NATO summit in Madrid, which ends Thursday, the UK pledged funding for, among other things, advanced air defense systems, drones and electronic war equipment.
British officials said the equipment is the first step to enable Ukraine to go beyond defense and conduct offensive operations against Russian ground forces to reclaim lost territory.
Johnson said: “Putin’s brutality continues to cost Ukrainian lives and threaten peace and security across Europe.
“As Putin fails to achieve the gains he expected and hoped for, and the futility of this war becomes apparent to all, his attacks on the Ukrainian people are becoming increasingly barbaric.
“British weapons, equipment and training are transforming Ukraine’s defenses against this attack.
“And we will stand firmly behind the Ukrainian people to make sure Putin fails in Ukraine.”
The UK counts its support for Ukraine in its defense spending, taking its commitment for about 2.3% of gross domestic product – a measure of the size of the economy.
The level of defense spending has been the source of contention between No. 10 and the military, with calls for additional funding for British troops to meet increased demands due to the instability caused by Russia’s actions.
Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said: “Britain’s commitment to Ukraine is real and constant and we will stand by them until Russia changes course.
“This military aid will help them step up their fight against Russian aggression and ensure they have the defense capabilities they need.”
Speaking of the 2.3% spending figure, Mr Wallace told reporters in Madrid: “To be fair, No. 10 says ‘if you count the extra Ukrainian spending’, they have a caveat.
‘Because, of course, it’s not core defense spending. I mean it’s not my core budget, I don’t buy plans, tanks or ships for it anymore.
“It helps the British defense obliquely because we help Ukraine.”
The need for additional support for Ukraine was underlined by Odessa MP Alex Goncharenko, who said Russia used “an incredible amount of artillery and multiple missile launch systems” to flatten parts of its country.
“Yes, their artillery is old style, old Soviet style. But it’s deadly,” he told reporters in Madrid.
“They tried blitzkrieg and it failed, and now it’s scorched earth.
“Like World War I, that’s the reality.”
Wallace echoed that assessment of Russian tactics, which are estimated to have cost Putin about 25,000 soldiers dead.
“They’re grinding at World War I levels, meters not miles a day,” he said.
The Russians had “built up the infrastructure”, so “all they have to do is occupy minefields and bulldozed buildings”.