UK Pledges New $375 Million Ukraine Aid Package – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a new military aid package for Ukraine this week worth $375 million. The package includes new electronic warfare equipment, GPS jamming equipment, and night vision devices.
During a video link address to the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s unicameral parliament, Prime Minister Johnson invoked the words of wartime British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and said that Ukraine’s fight against Russian invaders will be its “finest hour.”
“In the coming weeks, we in the UK will send you Brimstone anti-ship missiles and Stormer anti-aircraft systems,” Johnson said.
“We are providing armored vehicles to evacuate civilians from areas under attack and protect officials, what Volodymyr (Zelensky) mentioned to me in our most recent call, while they maintain critical infrastructure.”
Johnson said that the package would also include radars to help Ukrainian soldiers “pinpoint the artillery” bombarding their cities, as well as heavy-lift drones to assist with distributing supplies to troops, and thousands of night vision devices.
The British PM also pledged to continue supplying Ukraine with weaponry and humanitarian aid until the conflict ends.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended the address, speaking after the British Prime Minister and declaring the UK and Ukraine “brothers and sisters.” It is the first time that Zelenskyy has attended the Ukrainian parliament since the outbreak of the war on February 24.
UK Also Donated Fleet of Armored Vehicles
A press release from the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office confirmed that 13 armored vehicles would be sent to Ukraine to assist with civilian rescue operations in areas under Russian soldiers’ attack.
The steel-plated vehicles were requested by the Ukrainian government to assist with humanitarian efforts and to transport key workers to begin rebuilding vital infrastructure.
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss also slammed the “intentional targeting of innocent civilians” by Russian soldiers and described their actions as a war crime.
“This latest donation of armoured vehicles will help protect innocent Ukrainians attempting to flee Russian shelling and support Ukrainian officials carrying out vital work,” Truss added.
Meanwhile, Biden Urges Congress to Pass $33 Billion Package
U.S. President Joe Biden also invoked World War II spirit this week, calling on Congress to pass his enormous proposed $33 billion aid package for Ukraine.
During a visit to the Lockheed Martin plant in Troy, Alabama, the president spoke of America’s massive industrial efforts during the second world war.
“We built the weapons and equipment that help defend freedom and sovereignty in Europe years ago,” he said. “That’s true again today.”
StarStreak MANPAD headed to Ukraine. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The Alabama plant the president visited is responsible for the manufacturing of the Javelin anti-tank missile systems that have been donated in their thousands to Ukrainian fighters over the last two months.
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.
