UK announces additional $1.6 billion in military support for Ukraine, ahead of G7 summit
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The UK will provide a further £1.3 billion ($1.6 billion) in military support and aid to Ukraine, the country’s Treasury said in a statement.
The announcement comes ahead of a virtual G7 summit on Sunday, which will include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The pledge marks “the highest rate of UK military spending on a conflict, since the height of the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan,” according to a Treasury statement Saturday.
Earlier this week, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised £300 million ($370 million) of military support to Ukraine, including electronic warfare equipment, a counter battery radar system, GPS jamming equipment and thousands of night vision devices. The Treasury said this would be funded from the £1.3 billion increase.
The new pledge almost doubles the UK’s previous spending commitments on the war in Ukraine.
Per the statement, it adds up to Britain’s “existing £1.5 billion ($1.85 billion) support, which included around £400 million ($494 million) in humanitarian aid and grants to the Ukrainian government, and unlocking over £700 million ($864 million) in lending from the World Bank through guarantees.”
Johnson and his defense secretary will host a meeting of defense companies later this month “to discuss ramping up production in response to increased demand created by the conflict in Ukraine and a global shift away from Russian-made weaponry,” the statement added.
