The UK pledges $620 million in new military aid for Ukraine

WARSAW – The U.Okay. on Tuesday pledged an extra $620 million in new military provides for Ukraine, together with long-range missiles and 4 hundreds of thousands rounds of ammunition, at a time when Ukraine is suffering to carry off advancing Russian forces at the japanese entrance line of the conflict, now in its 3rd yr.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday morning to verify the help and “assure him of the U.K.’s steadfast support for Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s brutal and expansionist ambitions,” Sunak’s office said.

Sunak was traveling to Warsaw later Tuesday to meet with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg for talks about further aid for Ukraine.

Ahead of the visit the U.K. government said Sunak would announce 500 million pounds ($620 million, 580 million euros) in new British military supplies, including 400 vehicles, 60 boats, 1,600 munitions and 4 million rounds of ammunition. The shipment will include British Storm Shadow long-range missiles, which have a range of some 150 miles and have proved effective at hitting Russian targets.

“President Zelenskyy thanked the Prime Minister for the U.K.’s continued support, saying the new military assistance would make a material difference to ordinary Ukrainians fighting on the front line to defend their country,” Downing Street mentioned.

The announcement comes 3 days after the U.S. House of Representatives authorized $61 billion in aid for Ukraine, as American lawmakers raced to ship a recent spherical of U.S. toughen to the war-torn best friend.

However, Downing Street didn’t point out whether or not the aid can be right away to be had for supply. Zelenskyy has again and again pleaded for better world help, caution that his nation will lose the conflict with out it.

Ammunition shortages connected to the aid holdup during the last six months have led Ukrainian military commanders to ration shells, a drawback that Russia seized in this yr — taking town of Avdiivka and lately inching in opposition to the city of Chasiv Yar, additionally in the japanese Donetsk area.