The Prime Minister will travel to Poland today [Tuesday 23 April]
to announce a massive uplift in military support for Ukraine,
including £500 million in additional military funding and our
largest-ever delivery of vital equipment.
He will meet Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to discuss
deepening UK-Poland relations, and the leaders will hold talks
with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Warsaw on
European security and support to Ukraine. The Prime Minister will
then travel on to Germany to meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz in
Berlin.
Ukraine is facing an existential threat as Russia continues its
barbaric invasion, risking the security and stability of all of
Europe.
The £500 million additional funding announced today - which takes
us to £3 billion in UK military aid for Ukraine this financial
year - will be used to rapidly deliver urgently-needed
ammunition, air defence, drones and engineering support. The
drones will be procured in the UK and the funds will support a
scale-up in domestic defence supply chains.
The Ministry of Defence will also send our largest-ever single
package of equipment from the UK, designed to help push back the
Russian invasion on land, sea and air. It includes:
- 60 boats including offshore raiding craft, rigid raiding
craft and dive boats as well as maritime guns
- More than 1,600 strike and air defence missiles, as well as
additional Storm Shadow long-range precision-guided
missiles.
- More than 400 vehicles, including 160 protected mobility
‘Husky' vehicles, 162 armoured vehicles and 78 all-terrain
vehicles.
- Nearly 4 million rounds of small arms ammunition.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:
“Defending Ukraine against Russia's brutal ambitions is
vital for our security and for all of Europe. If Putin is allowed
to succeed in this war of aggression, he will not stop at the
Polish border.
“I am in Warsaw today to deepen ties with our Polish partners and
commit critical new military support for Ukraine's defence.
Ukraine's armed forces continue to fight bravely, but they need
our support – and they need it now. Today's package will help
ensure Ukraine has what they need to take the fight to Russia.
“The United Kingdom will always play its part at the forefront of
European security, defending our national interest and standing
by our Nato allies.”
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said:
“This record package of military aid will give President
Zelenskyy and his brave nation more of the kit they need to kick
Putin out and restore peace and stability in Europe.
“The UK was the first to provide NLAW missiles, the first to give
modern tanks and the first to send long-range missiles.
“Now, we are going even further. We will never let the world
forget the existential battle Ukraine is fighting, and with our
enduring support, they will win.”
In his first in-person meeting with new Polish Prime Minister
Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister will also seek to deepen
UK-Poland ties across a range of issues.
Building on existing strong defence and security cooperation, he
will offer to deploy an RAF Typhoon Squadron to carry out Nato
Air Policing over Poland next year.
To further boost trade and support UK companies looking to invest
in Poland, the Prime Minister will also announce today an
intention to triple UK Export Finance funding available for
Poland from £5 billion to £15 billion – our most generous offer
to a partner country to date.
Bilateral trade between the UK and Poland has doubled in the last
decade to reach £30.6 billion, with 45 million bottles of Scotch
whisky bought in Poland last year and UK firms bidding for £5
billion worth of Polish opportunities across energy, defence,
healthcare, and infrastructure.
