UK to send 6,000 new defensive missiles to Ukraine
March 24, 2022, 8:36 am

UK to send 6,000 new defensive missiles to Ukraine

The UK stands with Ukraine (File photo: UK PM Boris Johnson official Facebook page)

The Swiss Info reported, citing Reuters, Britain will provide Ukraine with about 6,000 new defensive missiles and almost 30 million pounds ($40 million) to support the BBC's coverage in the region and pay Ukrainian soldiers and pilots.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will announce the new package of support on Thursday at the NATO and G7 leaders' meetings while also signalling a willingness to bolster Ukraine's defence capabilities further, his office said on Wednesday.

Johnson said: "The United Kingdom will work with our allies to step up military and economic support to Ukraine, strengthening their defences as they turn the tide in this fight."

"One month into this crisis, the international community faces a choice. We can keep the flame of freedom alive in Ukraine, or risk it being snuffed out across Europe and the world."

Some of the Ukrainian soldiers who are protecting the eastern borders of Ukraine from the Russian invaders (File photo: Euromaidan Press)

As part of the package, the UK will provide 6,000 missiles and 25 million pounds in financial backing for the Ukrainian military. It will also provide 4.1 million pounds for the BBC World Service to help support its Ukrainian and Russian language services, and tackle disinformation.

Britain said with the new commitment it will have provided up to 10,000 missiles and that the additional funds come on top of 400 million pounds committed in humanitarian and economic aid.

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Thursday's NATO summit in Brussels is expected to unlock additional aid for Kyiv including equipment to help Ukraine protect against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.

Source: swissinfo

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.