Historic agreement between the UK and Ukraine

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced new military funding for Ukraine during his visit to Kyiv.

The London administration stated that the package, worth 3.2 billion dollars for the upcoming fiscal year, is the largest support the UK has provided to Ukraine since the start of the war. 

According to the plan, payments will be made for long-range missiles, thousands of drones, air defense, artillery ammunition, and maritime security for Ukraine. 

Stating that Ukraine's security means their own security, Sunak said, "Today we are going further, increasing our military aid, delivering thousands of cutting-edge drones, and signing a new, historic security agreement to provide Ukraine with the assurances it needs for the long term."

"Putin needs to understand that we are not going anywhere"

Sunak said, "I am here today with a single message: The United Kingdom will not back down. We will stand with Ukraine in its darkest hours and in the better times to come." 

Stating that he made his first foreign trip of the year to Ukraine to send a "strong signal of support," Sunak said, "Putin needs to understand that we are not going anywhere." 

Sunak, whose country is one of Ukraine's biggest supporters, first visited Kyiv in November 2022, shortly after becoming prime minister.  Having provided a total of 3.3 billion dollars in military funding to Kyiv in 2022 and 2023, the UK is the second-largest provider of military aid to Ukraine after the US.

"Preparation for a major 2025 ground offensive"

Military analysts state that Ukraine and Russia are trying to replenish their arsenals this year in anticipation of possible major ground offensives in 2025. 

The approximately 1,500-kilometer front line has remained largely static throughout the winter.  It is noted that both countries need artillery shells, missiles, and drones that allow for longer-range strikes. 

Ukrainian leader Zelenskyy is pressuring his Western allies at this point to provide more support. Kyiv says that Moscow is receiving artillery shells and missiles from North Korea and drones from Iran. 

Zelenskyy, who visited Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia this week, received promises of more missiles, drones, howitzers, and artillery shells from the Baltic countries, which are among Kyiv's most loyal supporters. Zelenskyy reported that Ukraine is particularly in need of air defense systems.

According to officials in Kyiv, Russia's recent attacks are depleting Ukraine's resources and leaving it vulnerable. US President Joe Biden's administration's plan to send 60 billion dollars in new funding to Kyiv is being held up in Congress. 

European countries, which pledged to provide 1 million artillery shells to Kyiv within 12 months last March, had delivered only 300,000 of them by the end of the year.