The UK will deliver an additional 6,000 missiles to Ukraine, doubling its supplies of defensive weapons to the country since the Russian invasion, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on the eve of NATO and G7 summits.
Source: AFP
Despite the “extraordinarily brave” resistance of the Ukrainians, “we cannot stand idly by and let the Russians destroy Ukrainian cities,” Johnson said before these key meetings in Brussels on Thursday, one month after the start of war.
“The UK will work with our allies to increase military and economic support for Ukraine, bolstering its defences,” he added.
These 6,000 defensive missiles are in addition to the more than 4,000 anti-tank missiles, including NLAW and Javelin, and Starstreak high-speed man-portable missiles that the UK had already sent to Ukraine.
Johnson also announced an aid of 25 million pounds (33 million dollars, 30 million euros) for the Ukrainian army, in addition to the 400 million pounds of economic and humanitarian aid already promised.
“One month after the start of the crisis, the international community faces a choice,” warned the British president. “We can keep the flame of freedom burning in Ukraine, or risk it going out across Europe and the world,” he said.
The UK will also allocate £4.1m to BBC World Service, the international service of Britain’s public broadcaster group, to “combat disinformation in Russia and Ukraine”, and will provide further support to the International Criminal Court’s investigation into possible war crimes.
NATO leaders meet in Brussels on Thursday, the same day as the G7 and European Union summits in that city.
US President Joe Biden, who will attend all three meetings, has already announced that the West will adopt “new sanctions against Russia and strengthen” those already in place.
