UK to provide $375 million worth of military assistance to Ukraine

Europe, News May 4, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on May 3 that the UK would provide Ukraine with 300 million pounds ($375 million) worth of military assistance, which would include electronic warfare equipment and a counter-battery radar system.

Johnson made the announcement while addressing the Ukrainian parliament as he hailed his resistance to Russia as his “best moment”.

During his speech, Johnson said that the UK government’s new package of support to Ukraine includes £300 million worth of equipment, “including radars to pinpoint the artillery bombarding your cities, heavy-lift drones to supply your forces, and thousands of night vision devices.”

According to Johnson’s office, the new military support will also include electronic warfare equipment, counter-battery radar systems, as well as GPS jamming equipment.

The UK has already provided Ukraine with 200 million pounds of aid. Boris Johnson vowed that “We in the UK will do whatever we can to hold them [Russia] to account for these war crimes.

Johnson’s remarks on May 3 were delivered via video link from Downing Street. It was the first time a foreign leader has addressed Ukraine’s Parliament since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

During his address, Johnson said that “No outsider like me can speak lightly about how the conflict could be settled if only Ukraine would relinquish this or that piece of territory or we find some compromise for Vladimir Putin.”

“The truth is that we were too slow to grasp what was really happening and we collectively failed to impose the sanctions then that we should have put on Vladimir Putin. We cannot make the same mistake again.” Johnson added.

*^{British Prime Minister Boris Johnson with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine on April 9, 2022. (Image Credit: Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)}*

Russia has repeatedly criticized Western countries for escalating the conflict by providing Ukraine with military equipment and warned that Russia has the right to respond to any direct interventions.

Despite Russia’s warnings, Johnson said that his country is committed to providing Ukraine with security and said: “We will carry on supplying Ukraine, alongside your other friends, with weapons, funding, and humanitarian aid, until we have achieved our long-term goal, which must be so to fortify Ukraine that no one will ever dare to attack you again.”

The UK also announced its plans to send armored vehicles to Ukraine, that are capable of firing missiles against Russian aircraft, as well as anti-tank missiles, air defense systems, and plastic explosives.

Earlier on April 26, the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that “New ambulances, fire engines, funding for health experts and life-saving medical supplies are being donated to Ukraine as part of the UK’s continued steadfast solidarity with the country,”

The British prime minister had been facing internal pressures in the country for attending several Downing Street social events in breach of Covid-19 lockdown rules. The British prime minister has been one of the most ardent supporters of Ukraine’s efforts to resist what Russia calls a “special military operation” to remove weapons from Ukraine and protect it from fascists.

Some experts believe that Johnson’s handling of the Ukraine crisis has proven to be effective for him as his popularity has increased significantly in the UK. However, Johnson’s spokesman rejected the allegations that it was an election stunt or a way of distracting attention from scandals over gatherings in Downing Street during a strict COVID-19 lockdown, saying the prime minister was determined to show his support for Ukraine.