UK to match or exceed the 2.3 billion it pledged to give to Ukraine during 2022

The UK will match or exceed the £2.3 billion (€2.62 billion) it pledged to give to Ukraine’s war effort against Russia during 2022, British Prime Minister Liz Truss has said on the sidelines of her visit to New York to attend the UN General Assembly, where she will reiterate her commitment to support Ukraine in the long term.

“Ukraine’s victories over the past few weeks have been inspiring. Time and again, these brave people have defied the doubters and shown what they can do if given the military, economic and political support they need,” said Truss, who stressed that “the UK will continue to stand behind” the Ukrainian people “every step of the way.” “Your security is our security,” he added.

With this amount of money, the UK will position itself as the second largest military donor to Ukraine, behind only the United States, Downing Street has detailed. In addition to granting Ukraine of funding and weaponry, the UK has trained 27,000 members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces since 2015. This is in addition to hundreds of rockets, five air defense systems, 120 armored vehicles and other equipment.

In this regard, Truss’s office has highlighted that the specific nature of British military support in 2023 will be determined from the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, although it is expected to include multiple rocket launching systems.

Separately, the prime minister has criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for using energy as an element of “blackmail.” “By turning off the tap of the NOrd Stream pipeline, Putin has condemned millions of people to a colder and more difficult winter,” she has argued. “Too many lives, in Ukraine, in Europe and around the world, are being manipulated by a dependence on Russian energy. We need to work together to end this once and for all,” he has concluded.

During the campaign to seize power for the Conservative Party, Truss promised the Ukrainian people to continue the policy of his predecessor, Boris Johnson, in terms of the support offered to Ukraine.

Truss’s trip to New York, where he will meet US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron or European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, will mark the return to political normality in the United Kingdom after ten days of national mourning for the death of Queen Elizabeth II.