What's New
The U.K. has pledged to send a £225 million ($286 million) aid package with military equipment to Ukraine, according to Reuters. The new aid package also included an offer that British troops would train Ukrainian soldiers.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged allies to provide more aid to Ukraine and enforce sanctions on Russia in posts on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Newsweek reached out to the U.K.'s Ministry of Defense for comment via email outside of business hours.
Newsweek also reached out to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine for comment via email.
Why It Matters
The U.K.'s continued support of Ukraine is significant as it shows the British will not bow down to Russian aggression, despite recent threats of war with NATO by President Vladimir Putin's allies.
The fact that Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called to bolster support for Ukraine in case Donald Trump revokes U.S. aid is indicative of how Europe and the U.K. anticipate how the Republican's second presidential term will go.
What To Know
The U.K.'s military aid package for Ukraine includes £92 million ($116 million) allocated for equipment meant to bolster Ukraine's navy, comprising small boats, reconnaissance drones, uncrewed surface vessels, loitering munitions, and mine countermeasure drones. Some £68 million ($85.5 million) will go toward air defense equipment including radars, decoy land equipment, and counter-drone electronic warfare systems.
The package also includes £26 million ($32.7 million), which will be for providing support and spare parts for systems already in Kyiv, and £39 million ($49 million) for more than 1,000 counter-drone electronic warfare systems, respirators, and equipment for Ukraine's Armed Forces.
This new aid package swiftly followed Starmer's call to continue providing aid to Ukraine and come up with a defense pact for Europe. The U.K. prime minister emphasized the importance of supporting Ukraine amid concerns that Trump will cease providing military aid to Kyiv after his inauguration.
In an interview with U.K. online newspaper The Independent, Starmer said: "We are living in an evermore volatile world—you can feel that intensely in relation to the situation in Ukraine. We're at a critical point and it's really important that we double down and are clear that we must put Ukraine in the strongest possible position, whether there are negotiations or not. That means increasing capability, it means increasing funding and it means increasing training—that has to be coordinated. We have to cooperate."
The U.K. has been one of Ukraine's most steadfast allies since the war began in 2022, and as of November, it has given Kyiv a total of £12.8 billion, comprising £7.8 billion in military support and £5 billion in nonmilitary support. The U.K. has also pledged that it will provide £3 billion in support annually until 2030-2031, and for as long as it takes.
Ukraine has also received aid from the U.K. that has gone toward humanitarian relief, energy support, reconstruction of infrastructure, loans, and more.
What People Are Saying
British Defense Minister John Healey said: "The brave people of Ukraine continue to defy all expectations with their unbreakable spirit. But they cannot go it alone—which is why the U.K. will step up our international leadership on Ukraine throughout 2025."
General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, wrote: "The United Kingdom, together with other European partners, will continue to make maximum efforts to meet our needs for weapons, military equipment, ammunition, and other high-tech equipment. Taking this opportunity, I thanked Admiral Radakin, and in his person, His Majesty King Charles III, the Government and people of Great Britain for their assistance to our country in the fight against the occupier."
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen how the U.K.'s continued support of Ukraine will help their war effort, and how Russia will respond.
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