British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday announced a new 1.6 billion pound ($2 billion) deal that would allow Ukraine to purchase 5,000 air-defence missiles using export finance.
Britain’s Ministry of Defence said Thales will manufacture the lightweight-multirole missiles for Ukraine.
Thales said the missiles have a range of more than 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) and they can be fired from a variety of platforms on land, sea, and air.
“This will be vital for protecting critical infrastructure now and strengthening Ukraine in securing the peace when it comes,” Starmer told reporters at a summit in London.
Russia last week launched more than 200 drones in an overnight attack, in what Ukraine said was the largest such attack since the start of the war three years ago.
More European countries will increase defence spending and the United States remains committed to NATO, the alliance’s chief Mark Rutte said Sunday after Ukraine crisis talks in London.
“It was very good news that more European countries will ramp up defence spending,” Rutte said of the meeting, adding that the US was committed to Nato despite frequent criticism by President Donald Trump.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said European leaders had “all once again clearly affirmed our commitment” to supporting Ukraine.
“It is the country under attack, the victim of great aggression. This is the undeniable truth for everyone. And, of course, it also means that we must and will act accordingly,” he said.
“For us, it is also clear that this means we must support Ukraine both financially and militarily. International and transatlantic support for Ukraine remains crucial for the security of the country and of Europe.”
He added: “The Russian perspectives cannot be accepted. Russia has always aimed to establish a government in Ukraine that follows its orders. This cannot be accepted.
“The second issue is demilitarization. Russia repeatedly demands this, but it cannot be accepted. On the contrary, Ukraine must be strong enough — based on the experiences of the country, its citizens, and all of us — to ensure that it is never attacked again. This will also be of central importance for the future.”
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that no one in the West has any intention of capitulating to Putin’s “blackmail and aggression.”
“The best way to discourage Putin and other aggressors is to build our own strength, and the best way to convince President Trump to want to strengthen cooperation with Europe, and not weaken it, is our European strength. Everyone will want to work with a strong partner,” Tusk told Polish reporters.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says she will present next week a plan to “rearm Europe” to bolster the bloc’s security.
Speaking at the end of the summit on Ukraine defense and security in London, the head of the EU’s executive branch said she will unveil the plan to heads of state and government during an EU summit in Brussels.
“We all have understood that after a long time of under investment it is now of utmost importance to step up the defense investment for a prolonged period of time. It’s for the security of the European Union,” she said.
Von der Leyen added that the plan could for instance help develop advanced air shields.
As for the future of war-torn Ukraine, von der Leyen said “security guarantees are of utmost importance. We have to put Ukraine in a position of strength, so that it has the means to fortify itself and to protect itself,” she said. “It’s basically turning Ukraine into a steel porcupine that is indigestible for potential invaders.”
A European security summit focused on finding an end to the war in Ukraine has wrapped up.
Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, emerged from the meeting and told some reporters that Europe needs a surge in defense spending and must restock its arms, Sky News reported.
Von der Leyen says they want the US to see they are prepared to defend democracy.
The meeting hosted by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer included more than 19 leaders, mostly from across Europe, but also included Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Nato’s Secretary General Mark Rutte.
A crowd of thousands rallied in support of Ukraine outside the British prime minister’s residence.
A woman wrapped in the Ukrainian flag said they were grateful for the unwavering support of the UK and other countries.
The demonstration occurred as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was meeting nearby in London with other European leaders focused on ending the war.
A day earlier, Zelenskyy had arrived to meet Downing at 10 Downing Street and was greeted with loud cheers.
The speaker who was not named called for a deal that punishes Russian aggression and secures Ukraine’s freedom and democracy.
Agencies
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