Key NATO ally shocks with its 'single largest' pledge to Ukraine: 'They need our support'
The UK's total aid for Ukraine this year will top $3B in aid and weapons
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ukraine continues to see an international windfall following the passage of a significant U.S. aid package as the U.K. follows suit with a pledge of its single-largest military aid package.
"Defending Ukraine against Russia's brutal ambitions is vital for our security and for all of Europe," British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said during a visit to Poland this week. "If Putin is allowed to succeed in this war of aggression, he will not stop at the Polish border."
Sunak’s pledge of £500 million ($620 million) to Ukraine bolsters an already substantial £2.5 billion ($3.1 billion) allocated for this financial year, the BBC reported. The funds will mainly go toward producing drones made in the U.K. and scaling up "domestic defense supply chains."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The British Ministry of Defense described the package as the "largest-ever single package of equipment from the U.K." that puts the country on "a war footing." Sunak has promised to spend an extra £75 billion ($93 billion) in defense spending over the next six years.
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The U.K. will also provide 400 vehicles, more than 1,600 missiles, 4 million rounds of ammunition and 60 boats to bolster the country’s defense. It will also deploy a Royal Air Force squadron to watch over Poland’s skies for NATO next year.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, right, and Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak inspect military equipment at the Warsaw Armoured Brigade in Warsaw, Poland, on Tuesday. (Sergei Gapon/AFP via Getty Images)
"Ukraine’s armed forces continue to fight bravely, but they need our support — and they need it now," Sunak said during a press conference. "[This] 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," Sunak added, according to The Guardian.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Following his meeting with Polish President Donald Tusk, Sunak traveled to Berlin, where he met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, second from left, looks at a map during his visit to Ukrainian 110th mechanized brigade in Avdiivka, the site of fierce battles with Russian troops in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, on Dec. 29, 2023. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)
The U.S. Senate on Tuesday advanced a $95 billion foreign aid package that included military aid for both Ukraine and Israel. The House passed the bill on Saturday, and both Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., urged passage of the bill.
Poland's Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, center, and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, left, arrive to deliver a press statement after a bilateral meeting at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister in Warsaw, Poland, on Tuesday. (Omar Marques/Getty Images)
Ukraine will receive $60 billion from that package, providing the beleaguered nation a much-needed shot in the arm to boost its defense against Russian invasion.
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President Biden on Wednesday said the package provides "vital support to America’s partner" and served as "an investment in all our security."
From left, Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Britain's Defense Secretary Grant Shapps, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Poland's Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak Kamysz inspect military equipment at the Warsaw Armoured Brigade in Warsaw, Poland, on Wednesday. (Sergei Gapon/AFP via Getty Images)
"When our allies are stronger, we are all stronger," Biden said during a press conference ahead of signing the bill. He stressed that "we need to move fast" to help Ukraine continue its defense against Russia’s invasion, which has lurched into its third year.
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"It’s amazing what they do against a larger military," Biden added, touting the territorial gains and naval victories Ukraine has made over the past two years. He laid out the support Russia has received from Iran and China in contrast to the aid the U.S. and other allies will send to Kyiv.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.