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The government has announced a further \u00a3450m of military support to Kyiv, as the UK and Germany prepare to host a meeting of 50 nations in Brussels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Defence officials are convening to “pile pressure” on Russian President Vladimir Putin and force him to end his invasion of Ukraine, UK Defence Secretary John Healey said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We must step up to deter Russian aggression by continuing to bolster Ukraine’s defences,” he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The package includes funding for hundreds of thousands of drones, anti-tanks mines and and repairs to military vehicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
About \u00a3350m will by provided by the UK, with extra funding from Norway via the UK-led International Fund for Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The package includes \u00a3160m to provide repairs and maintenance to vehicles and equipment the UK has already provided to Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A “close fight” military aid package, with funding for radar systems, anti-tank mines and hundreds of thousands of drones, worth more than \u00a3250m is also part of the package, the government said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Healey said the work of the group “is vital to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We cannot jeopardise peace by forgetting the war, which is why today’s major package will surge support to Ukraine’s frontline fight,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“2025 is the critical year for Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Our job as defence ministers is to put into the hands of the Ukrainian war fighters what they need.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The fund follows a series of military pledges to Ukraine from the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last month, Sir Keir Starmer announced a \u00a31.6bn missile deal for Ukraine,<\/a> following a summit of European leaders in London, on top of a \u00a32.2bn loan to provide more military aid backed by profits from frozen Russian assets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Lib Dems said the support package announced on Friday was “small change” and called for the government to seize Russian assets in Britain to give Ukraine more funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “While we welcome any increase in support for Ukraine, this package is small change compared to what’s needed to combat Putin’s barbaric war,” the party’s defence spokeswoman Helen Maguire said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Healey and his German counterpart, defence minister Boris Pistorius, are co-chairing Friday’s meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, which had traditionally been hosted by the US defence secretary until Donald Trump became president in January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since then, in a sign of the US stepping back<\/a> from European security matters, Healey has taken over as chair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n