Britain has in a latest statement said that it would provide a further 1.3 billion pounds ($1.60 billion) in military support and aid to Ukraine. The pledge has been made ahead of a planned video call on Sunday by Group of Seven leaders with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Prime Minister Johnson has been one of the strongest supporters of Ukraine’s efforts to resist the Russian forces since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion on Feb. 24. Johnson’s government has sent anti-tank missiles, air defense systems and other weapons to Ukraine as an effort to help the country protect it’s sovereignty from Russian invasion.
The new pledge has almost doubled Britain’s previous spending commitments on Ukraine and the government said this is the highest rate of spending on a conflict since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The exact calculations and details of this however were not given.
“Putin’s brutal attack is not only causing untold devastation in Ukraine – it is also threatening peace and security across Europe,” Johnson mentioned in a statement. Last week Mr. Johnson became the first Western leader to address Ukraine’s parliament since the start of the invasion.
The leaders of the G7 countries i.e., Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States – will hold their virtual meeting with Zelenskiy on Sunday, the day before Russia marks its Victory Day holiday, which marks the end of World War Two in Europe.
Britain officials have said the extra spending on Ukraine will come from a reserve used by the government for emergencies.
The government has also said Johnson will host a meeting of leading defense companies later this month to discuss increasing production in response to the increased demand created by the war in Ukraine.
While on one hand Britain has provided significant military aid, on the other it has so far accepted relatively few of the more than 5 million Ukrainians who have fled their country. The British government said on Saturday that so far it had issued more than 86,000 visas to Ukrainians, of whom about 27,000 had reached Britain.
This step by the British Government could be followed by other western countries coming in support of Ukraine both financially and militaristically. The aid given is definitely a big help for Ukraine where the Conflict is still going. It remains to be seen what happens next and what lies in store for the Ukrainian people. Only time shall tell.
