Drones for Ukraine: UK to send Kyiv more military aid after Biden gives Zelenskyy go-ahead to strike within Russia
19 November 2024, 00:33 | Updated: 19 November 2024, 01:09
Britain has given Ukraine a further £7.5 million in military aid amid a growing row over the US deciding to allow Kyiv to strike at Russia with American-supplied long-range missiles.
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The UK will provide £7.5 million for new attack and surveillance drones, the Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday.
It comes as Russia's invasion enters its 1,000th day and amid concerns about a potential change of US stance under Donald Trump, who has said he wants to end the conflict "in a day".
Mr Trump's team were furious about Joe Biden's decision to allow Ukraine to use its long-range missiles within Russia, with one ally and former aide telling LBC that the outgoing president wants to "sabotage" the peace process.
Russia, meanwhile, has warned of a "tangible response" if Ukraine uses American missiles to strike its territory.
The £7.5 million announced on Tuesday by the British government will be invested through the drone coalition, with other allies providing an additional £16 million including £10 million from Germany, £3 million from Canada and £3 million from Luxembourg.
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This brings the total fund to £67 million, including a total of £15 million from the UK, the Ministry of Defence said.
Defence Secretary John Healey said: "The UK has stood side by side with our Ukrainian allies since day one of Putin's illegal, full-scale invasion - leading international support, training 50,000 recruits and supplying weapons, drones and other crucial military kit.
"1,000 days after Putin initiated his full-scale invasion, our commitment to Ukraine remains ironclad. President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people will have our fullest support for as long as it takes.
"As we look towards a winter of continued Russian attacks on military and civilian targets, it is critical that international partners and allies come together to back Ukraine and ensure that Putin does not succeed."
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On Wednesday, Parliament will debate the second reading of the Financial Assistance to Ukraine Bill, which will confirm the UK's £2.26 billion loan to Kyiv for further military equipment.
Meanwhile, armed forces minister Luke Pollard will visit Operation Interflex - the code name for the UK armed forces programme that has helped train Ukrainian recruits - training in the east of England on Tuesday to meet troops.
It comes after the Government announced that more than 50,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been trained on UK soil since the start of the Kremlin's invasion in 2022.
Mr Pollard said the operation, supported by instructors from 12 other nations, was a "perfect example of how we are working side-by-side with allies to bolster the security of Ukraine, which in turn boosts the security of Europe and the UK."
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Britain has vowed to "double down" on its support for Kyiv, with speculation mounting in recent months that UK-supplied missiles could be used by Ukrainian forces to hit targets deep inside Russia.
On Monday, the British Government would not be drawn on whether restrictions on the use of Storm Shadow missiles would be eased but said it was working in "close co-operation" with the US.
Joe Biden has allowed Ukraine to use American-supplied weapons to strike sites in Russia after months of pressure from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Starmer said on Monday that he is "not going to get into operational details" with regards to missiles in Ukraine "because the only winner, if we were to do that, is (Vladimir) Putin."
Speaking to broadcasters at the G20 in Brazil he said: "I've been really clear for a long time now we need to double down.
"We need to make sure Ukraine has what is necessary for as long as necessary, because we cannot allow Putin to win this war."
Asked if he had spoken to Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, he said: "I haven't spoken to Russia and I've got no plans to do so."
