The United Kingdom will allocate funds worth 1.3 billion pounds (1.5 billion euros) for operations and military aid for Ukraine, the British Ministry of the Economy announced on Saturday.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will announce the new financial package at the virtual summit of G7 leaders this Sunday, which adds to the 1,500 million pounds (1,750 million euros) that had already been announced so far.
Economy Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed in a statement released by his department that the funds will be used to cover the “costs of military support to Ukraine during this fiscal year.”
The British government claims that aid to Ukraine in its war against Russia represents the largest military spending by the United Kingdom in a conflict since the peak of the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, when up to 43,000 soldiers were deployed on the ground.
“Unwavering Support”
Last Tuesday, Johnson already announced 300 million pounds (350 million euros) for electronic warfare equipment and thousands of night vision goggles, which is part of this package confirmed today by Economy.
The 1,300 million revealed today come from the so-called Reserve, which are the funds that the Government sets aside for the most urgent emergencies.
“The UK was the first country to recognize the scale of the threat and to send arms for Ukrainians to defend themselves. We will continue that effort, working with our allies to ensure that Ukraine can continue to repel the Russian invasion and survive as a free and democratic country.” “Johnson noted in the note.
For its part, the Ministry of Economy stressed that the United Kingdom continues its “unwavering support” to Ukraine and therefore allocates new funds against “the brutality of Vladimir Putin.”
mg (efe, Archyde.com)