UK Pledges £3bn Annual Military Support For Ukraine "For As Long As It Takes"

The U.K. government has spelled out its full range of military support to help Ukraine fend off Russian aggression — including £3 billion a year until at least 2030.

As per the factsheet released this week by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) the U.K. has already donated £7.6 billion-worth of defence support to Ukraine since the February 2022 invasion by Russia.

Yesterday (Wednesday) NATO allies reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen the beleaguered country's defences at the latest NATO-Ukraine Council meeting.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who chaired the meeting, said: “Ukraine continues to intercept Russian missiles on a daily basis, saving countless lives. But Ukraine’s ability to maintain their defences requires increased supply and more support. In the wake of the latest Russian assault, Allies today reaffirmed they are stepping up their military aid to Ukraine. We must continue to provide Ukraine with the equipment and munitions it needs to defend itself against Russia’s invasion. This is vital for Ukraine’s ability to stay in the fight.”

At this week's council meeting allies agreed together they would provide a minimum of €40 billion of security assistance in the next year. They also pledged to coordinate security assistance and training for Ukraine: a new NATO command taking on these tasks will become operational in September. 

The U.K.'s donations to date have comprised roughly 400 separate military systems, including a new package announced last month which featured more artillery guns, 250,000 ammunition rounds and nearly 100 precision Brimstone missiles, as well as 50 small military boats to support river and coastal operations, 40 de-mining vehicles, and more than 60 bulldozers to help build defensive positions.

The U.K. government has pledged to continue donating similar levels of aid annually at least until the 2030-31 fiscal year and “for as long as it takes.”

In addition more than 45,000 Ukrainians have been trained to fight in the U.K. via Operation Interflex and the U.K. also administers the International Fund for Ukraine (IFU), an international effort to procure artillery ammunition, drones, small boats, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems, electronic warfare systems, uncrewed underwater vehicles, air defence systems, mine clearance equipment and combat vehicle spares.

To date pledges made via the IFU comprise equipment valued at just short of £1 billion. And a U.K./Ukraine Defence Industrial Support Treaty signed in July makes it simpler for Ukraine to access £3.5 billion of export finance.

The MoD factsheet also details diplomatic, non-military, humanitarian, trade, energy and recovery & reconstruction support offered by the U.K. 

You can read the full details on the MoD website.