Boris Johnson has persuaded Chancellor Rishi Sunak to cough up the money to give his pal President Volodymyr Zelensky the weaponry he needs to beat off Russian advances.
Image: PA)
Boris Johnson last night pledged a further £1.3billion to fund Ukraine ’s fight against Russia bringing Britain’s total aid to £2.8billion.
The PM has persuaded Chancellor Rishi Sunak to cough up the money to give his pal President Volodymyr Zelensky the weaponry he needs to beat off Russian advances.
It’s the most this country has spent on a war since 43,000 UK troops were deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.
The PM said: “The UK was the first country to recognise the scale of the threat and send arms to help the Ukrainians defend themselves.
“We will stand by that endeavour, working with our allies to ensure Ukraine can continue to push back the Russian invasion.”
And Mr Sunak added: “The situation in Ukraine continues to cause immense suffering with every day bringing new, tragic stories of Putin’s brutality.
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“We are unwavering in our support – and this extra £1.3billion will ensure we continue to provide the necessary military and operational support they need to defend themselves against Putin.”
Mr Johnson and other G7 leaders spoke to President Zelensky by video link yesterday to discuss Ukraine’s long term arms needs.
Last week the PM promised electronic warfare equipment, a counter battery radar system, GPS jamming equipment and thousands of night vision devices which the new money will pay for.
It comes on top of 5,000 anti-tank missiles, five air-defence systems with more than 100 missiles, and 4.5 tonnes of plastic explosives.
Mr Johnson and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace will meet British arms industry chiefs later this month
to discuss ramping up production – both to satisfy the demand created by the Ukraine war and to supply other countries who no longer wish to buy Russian weaponry.
The new money comes from the Government’s Reserve Fund – cash set aside for pressing emergencies.
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