UK unveils fresh military aid for Ukraine

 

The UK Government has announced a new package of military, humanitarian and reconstruction support for Ukraine, marking four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is convening a meeting of the so-called Coalition of the Willing alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, following their January declaration with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signalling the UK’s intent to deploy British troops to Ukraine once peace is secured. A 70-person headquarters for the proposed Multinational Force for Ukraine is already operational, backed by £200 million in funding.

In Kyiv, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is expected to condemn what she described as Russia’s campaign of “Russification” in temporarily occupied territories, including the forced adoption of Russian passports and suppression of Ukrainian language and media.

On the anniversary, Keir Starmer said: “On this grim anniversary, our message to the Ukrainian people is simple: Britain is with you, stronger than ever. That is why we are announcing new support today and we will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.” He added: “Russia is not winning this war. They will not win this war. Ukraine’s courage continues to hold the line for our shared values, in the face of Putin’s aggression.”

The latest package includes £20 million in emergency energy funding to repair and protect Ukraine’s power grid, bringing total UK energy support since 2022 to more than £490 million. A further £5.7 million will be directed towards humanitarian assistance for frontline communities and those displaced by the conflict.

The UK will also expand medical mentoring for Ukrainian clinicians, with British military surgeons, nurses and physiotherapists continuing to advise on complex battlefield trauma care. Ukrainian pilots are now training at a UK air base to become helicopter flying instructors, marking the first time Britain has provided rotary-wing instructor training to Ukraine.

Yvette Cooper said: “Today I am shining a light on Russia’s disgraceful attempts to erase the Ukrainian identity, in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.” She added that “Russia can and must end this war. The UK will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes to achieve a just and lasting peace.”

Defence Secretary John Healey said: “Four years after Putin launched his war to wipe Ukraine as a sovereign nation off the map, the UK is more determined than ever to stand strong with Ukraine.” He added: “I am determined that we make 2026 the year this brutal war ends.”

UK unveils fresh military aid for Ukraine