The Foreign Minister confirms additional package of support as he makes another visit to Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv
2 May 2024 • 10:00pm
Lord Cameron: Ukraine has right to defend itself with British weapons.
The Foreign Secretary, who has visited Kyiv and met with president Volodymyr Zelensky, said it was Ukraine’s “right” to decide whether to do so.
He said: “Ukraine has that right. Just as Russia is striking inside Ukraine, you can quite understand why Ukraine feels the need to make sure it’s defending itself.”
Lord Cameron’s visit on Thursday follows the Government’s announcement that it will commit to at least £3 billion a year in military support to Ukraine.
In Kyiv, Lord Cameron announced that the UK’s donation would include precision-guided bombs, and air defence missiles and equipment for 100 mobile air defence teams to enable Ukraine to shoot down Russia’s drones and missiles.
He also confirmed a £36 million package of support, including £20 million in new emergency funding, following Russia’s recent attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure.
The Government has committed to spend at least 2.5% per cent of GDP on defence.
“We will give £3 billion every year for as long as is necessary. We’ve just really emptied all we can in terms of giving equipment,” Lord Cameron told Reuters.
He also met Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s foreign ministe, during his second visit to Kyiv as Foreign Secretary.
He said: “Ukraine is fiercely defending itself against Russia’s illegal invasion, making a war Putin thought would last days take years.
“But this war is the challenge of our generation and Ukraine cannot fight it alone.
“We must all step up to ensure Ukraine has what it needs to win.
“Through our multi-year military funding, weapons provision and vital support to protect and repair Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, the UK is standing with Ukraine and we will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes,” Lord Cameron added.
Some really vile kremtrolls hit the comments section. But here are some decent comments:
Scott Driver
Cameron needs to be just as enthusiastic about getting Rishi and Parliament to send the 340 mile version Storm Shadows so the Ukrainians can start bombarding the Kerch bridge.
So far, the UK and France have only been sending the 150 mile export version Storm Shadows/SCALPs which would fall 60 miles short of said bridge if launched from Kherson city.
Trevor Smallwood
Reply to Scott Driver – Good idea. If Olaf is going to keep being the gooseberry someone else should step up.
Encouragingly the Norwegians are supporting Ukraine’s right to strike into Russian territory, ‘the deeper the better’.
Ch Du
Gazprom made its biggest loss in 25+ years after gas sales more than halved because of sanctions and the fallout from the war.
The plan’s working, slowly but surely.
Phil Dawes
Reply to Ch Du
I think the strategy is genuinely to strangle Russia slowly. Biden and others fear a chaotic break up of Russia. A people’s led coup is still the preferred option. I assume US intelligence is supporting this.
Trevor Smallwood
Reply to Phil Dawes
I’ll agree a coup is what they’re looking for but unless the ‘people’ get some support from the security forces it will be a coup within the elite.
Once that happens they may struggle to keep the behemoth that is Russia together.
Roy Openshaw
Time to set Russia ablaze.
Phil Dawes
The issue is that he and his predecessors and successors in government thought they could keep Putin in his box by letting him steal from the Russian people and hide his money in London. After the invasion of Georgia, Putin should have been stopped. They continued to appease and now we are where we are.
Elinor Irvine
At last.
The politicians are standing up for the right side and have decided to brave it ! And stick up for us all.
At last no pussyfooting around the political arena , now we are seeing strength and fortitude.
About time.
Bad Looking Rooster
Why the need to justify this anyway? Just reply “well Russia is using Iranian and NK weapons, so what if we give Ukraine weapons to defend themselves”.
M Swain
Use British troops too. Putin breaks all the rules but he can’t use British troops, though he would if he could in a weird parallel universe sort of way.
Ruth Nares
The US has been coming down on Ukraine for targeting Russia inside Russia. It’s very important Cameron said that. And all the rest – carrying on reiterating – it really matters.
Graham Boyd
It is only fair that Ukraine can target Russia in the same way Russia has targeted Ukraine. Russians who think the war should only be fought on Ukrainian territory are showing misplaced arrogance.
It doesn’t matter where the weapons come from. Russia has been using North Korean and Iranian weapons, amongst others, to target Ukraine.
Having to say such a statement reflects what sort of heads of states we have across the major Western countries. Clearly, in such trying times like now, we have the wrong types of leaders. They are more of a danger to our security than all the trash countries combined.