IRIA News

The United Kingdom has announced one of its largest military assistance packages for Ukraine in countering Russia’s invasion. The package, announced on April 22, 2024, includes 400 vehicles, 1,600 weapons, and 4 million rounds of ammunition.

According to a statement released by London, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the latest $620 million military package during his visit to Poland. He said the government is putting the UK’s defense industry “on a war footing,” describing it as the “biggest strengthening of our national defense for a generation.”

“In a world that is the most dangerous it has been since the end of the Cold War, we cannot be complacent,” he said at a news briefing in Warsaw alongside NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. “As our adversaries align, we must do more to defend our country, our interests, and our values.

“Defending Ukraine against Russia’s brutal ambitions is vital for our security and for all of Europe. If Putin is allowed to succeed in this war of aggression, he will not stop at the Polish border,” Sunak said. “Today’s package will help ensure Ukraine has what they need to take the fight to Russia. “The United Kingdom will always play its part at the forefront of European security, defending our national interest and standing by our Nato allies,” the British prime minister assured.

UK’s military package for Ukraine

The British Ministry of Defense released the details of the latest military package “designed to help push back the Russian invasion on land, sea, and air”. According to the Defense Ministry, the 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 defense missiles, as well as additional Storm Shadow long-range precision-guided missiles. 
• More than 400 vehicles, including 160 protected mobility ‘Husky’ vehicles, 162 armored vehicles and 78 all-terrain vehicles
• Nearly 4 million rounds of small arms ammunition.

The British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was accompanied by UK Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt and Defense Secretary Grant Shapps on his trip to Warsaw.

“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,” Defense Secretary Shapps said.

“The UK was the first to provide NLAW [Next generation Light Anti-tank Weapon] missiles, the first to give modern tanks, and the first to send long-range missiles,” he added.

The latest package will take the overall value of UK military aid to Ukraine to $3.7 billion in the current financial year, the British government said. With Russian forces gaining ground on the front lines and escalating air strikes, Ukraine has been urgently requesting additional support.

JUST ANNOUNCED: Defence Spending will rise by £75bn over the next 6 years.

With the world becoming more dangerous we can’t afford not to act. That’s why we’ll invest unprecedented amounts to give our Armed Forces a game-changing advantage.

🧵Find out what this £75bn will do: pic.twitter.com/lALZLtpfwq

— Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) April 23, 2024

The UK announced military support for Ukraine around the same time when the White House is seeking to push through a long-delayed $60 billion aid package from the United States Congress.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for the largest defense support for Ukraine yet. “Storm Shadow and other missiles, hundreds of armored vehicles and watercraft, ammunition — all of this is needed on the battlefield,” Zelenskyy said in a post on social media.

”I am grateful to the UK and personally to Prime Minister Sunak for such a strong demonstration of support and for the willingness to further develop our defense cooperation, especially with an emphasis on maritime and long-range capabilities,” he added.

Sunak in Poland

The British Prime Minister arrived in Poland for discussions with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and the Secretary General of the NATO defense alliance. This is the first time that Sunak met Poland’s Donald Tusk for an in-person meeting.

According to the UK government, the British prime minister aims to strengthen the UK-Poland relationship across various domains this trip. Expanding on the already robust defense and security collaboration, he will propose deploying an RAF Typhoon Squadron to conduct NATO Air Policing missions over Poland in the coming year.

The United Kingdom will always play its part at the forefront of European security.

Today I’m in Poland for that very reason. pic.twitter.com/wMUIFXK1fr

— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) April 23, 2024

Additionally, the two sides are also on track to enhance trade. Warsaw pledged to facilitate UK companies’ investments in Poland. During his meeting with Prime Minister Tusk, Sunak announced London’s plan to triple the funding provided by UK Export Finance for Poland.

Over the past decade, bilateral trade between the UK and Poland has doubled in several fields including energy, defense, healthcare, and infrastructure sectors in Poland.