Britain to announce military aid package worth over 500 million euros during Sunak's visit to Poland
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will travel to Poland on April 23 to announce a large-scale increase in military support to Ukraine – about £500 million (€580 million) of additional military funding and the largest supply of critical equipment in British history, reported the website of the British government.
According to the government, the additional funding of £500 million will be used to rapidly deliver urgently needed munitions, air defenses, drones and engineering support. The UAVs will be purchased in Britain.
The British Ministry of Defense will send Ukraine a package of equipment designed to repel a Russian invasion on land, sea and in the air. The assistance package includes:
→ 60 boats including offshore raiding craft, rigid raiding craft and dive boats as well as maritime guns;
→ more than 1,600 strike and air defence missiles, as well as additional Storm Shadow long-range precision-guided missiles;
→ more than 400 vehicles, including 160 protected mobility ‘Husky’ vehicles, 162 armoured vehicles and 78 all-terrain vehicles;
→ nearly 4 million rounds of small arms ammunition.
British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said "this record package of military aid will give President Zelenskyy and his brave nation more of the kit they need to kick Putin out and restore peace and stability in Europe."
"The UK was the first to provide NLAW missiles, the first to give modern tanks and the first to send long-range missiles. Now, we are going even further. We will never let the world forget the existential battle Ukraine is fighting, and with our enduring support, they will win," said Shapps.
According to the government, Sunak will meet with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on April 23 to discuss deepening British-Polish relations. Officials will hold talks with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Warsaw regarding European security and support for Ukraine. After that, Sunak will travel to Germany to meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin.
On January 12, Zelenskyy and Sunak signed a security agreement that will be valid until Ukraine joins NATO. On January 13, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said that this agreement will not be a repetition of the Budapest Memorandum, because the document provides for specific goals and specific actions.
On January 15, Secretary Shapps said that 2024 should be a "turning point", and for Ukraine – a year when "the fate of the nation can be decided".
On April 12, Shapps said that Britain is considering transferring to Ukraine a prototype of the DragonFire laser weapon, thanks to which the Defense Forces will be able to shoot down Russian drones and missiles.
On April 19, Britain allocated almost £150 million (over $180 million) to strengthen Ukraine's energy sector.
