Mr Sunak said the UK would increase its aid to Ukraine in the next financial year to £2.5bn ($3.19bn), up £200m from the previous two years. The deal will also help Kiev buy surveillance drones, long-range strike drones and maritime drones.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after signing documents and cooperation agreements in Kiev on January 12, 2024. Photo: AP
Mr Sunak’s trip comes at a crucial time for Ukraine, where political divisions in the US and the European Union have left Kiev facing a number of funding risks. Ukraine has relied heavily on Western military and financial aid in its conflict with Russia.
The two leaders signed what President Zelenskyy described as an “unprecedented security agreement” – one that the Ukrainian leader said would remain in place until Kiev joins the NATO military alliance. “This is not just a statement,” Zelenskyy wrote on the social network X.
The agreement includes the UK and Ukraine sharing intelligence, medical and military training, and defence industry cooperation, said Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian presidential administration.
The UK also added that it would supply the largest number of drones to Ukraine from any country, with most of them expected to be manufactured in the UK.
Also on Friday, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned that Moscow would view any move by the UK to deploy troops to Ukraine as a declaration of war against Russia.
Hoang Hai (according to AP, Reuters)
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