Defence Secretary welcomes Ukrainian counterpart to UK and confirms 拢1bn milestone in UK-administered fund
The milestone comes as the International Fund for Ukraine's largest support package will start delivering this year
Defence Secretary John Healey met Ukraine's Defence Minister, Rustem Umerov in London today
Urgent work to accelerate the delivery of the UK鈥檚 military support for Ukraine will be discussed between the Defence Secretary and his counterpart, Rustem Umerov, during a visit to London today.
The visit comes during a milestone moment in international support for Ukraine, with eight countries from across the world having now joined the UK to provide more than 拢1 billion to the International Fund for Ukraine (IFU), in a significant show of unity from Ukraine鈥檚 allies.
It comes after the Prime Minister announced the IFU鈥檚 largest ever support package at the NATO Summit in July, with a 拢300m contract to supply 152mm artillery shells to supply Ukraine鈥檚 Soviet-era guns.聽He also confirmed 拢3bn of UK aid for Ukraine per year for as long as it takes.
The Defence Secretary confirmed today the 拢300m contract has now been signed and is expected to deliver thousands of shells before the end of the year 鈥� providing a significant boost for Ukraine鈥檚 stockpiles and aligning with the Government鈥檚 acceleration of military support deliveries.
Denmark, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Norway all confirmed their intent this summer to invest additional money in the Fund to purchase more drones to help on the frontline, as well as vital air defence capabilities to help shield Ukraine鈥檚 people and key infrastructure from relentless Russian bombardment.
Defence Secretary, John Healey, said:
UK military equipment continues to prove invaluable for Ukraine鈥檚 war effort. The ongoing defensive operation in Kursk underlines the crucial importance of continued support. And today鈥檚 milestone for the International Fund for Ukraine shows the value of working with our Allies to deliver that support.
Our government is stepping up Britain鈥檚 support for Ukraine to fight Putin鈥檚 illegal invasion. We are speeding up deliveries of aid, with a much-needed ammunition package announced by the Prime Minister at NATO set to begin deliveries within months. We will continue to step up our support to help Ukraine achieve victory.
In his first days as Defence Secretary, John Healey met President Zelenskyy and Minister Umerov in Ukraine, where he pledged to accelerate the delivery of the UK鈥檚 military support for Ukraine.
The artillery ammunition contract, placed by Defence Equipment & Support 鈥� the MOD鈥檚 procurement arm 鈥� will deliver 120,000 newly-manufactured shells over the next 18 months, and will stimulate industrial capacity in Europe and safeguard reliable supply chains that will continue to provide Ukraine with vital ammunition.
It follows previous packages of support from the IFU, which have delivered heavy-lift and reconnaissance drones, maritime drones, minefield-clearing capabilities, combat vehicle spares and air defence systems.
The IFU was first launched by Denmark and the UK in 2022 to provide a more efficient way for countries to pool resources to buy equipment and weapons to support Ukraine鈥檚 most urgent capability needs. The UK has donated 拢500m to the Fund to date.
With artillery having proved critical to Ukraine鈥檚 previous battlefield successes, this new investment will support them in further degrading Russia鈥檚 forces and preventing them from making significant breakthroughs.
Other contributors to the IFU include Australia, Iceland, New Zealand, and Sweden. Further deliveries from the IFU鈥檚 other contracts will continue through the coming months.