Rishi Sunak has pledged £50m in defense aid to Ukraine during a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in his first visit to Kyiv since becoming prime minister.
Mr Sunak said it was “extremely humbling” to be in Kyiv and that the UK would stand by Ukraine.
“Since the first days of the war, Ukraine and Britain have been the strongest allies,” Mr. Zelenskiy said after the meeting.
The aid package is aimed at countering Russian airstrikes.
The £50m defense aid includes 125 anti-aircraft guns and technology to counter deadly Iranian-supplied drones, including dozens of radars and anti-drone electronic warfare capability.
Mr Sunak also announced that the UK would increase its training offering to Ukraine’s armed forces, sending specialist army medics and engineers to the region to offer specialist support.
It follows more than 1,000 new anti-aircraft missiles announced by UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace earlier this month.
During his visit, the prime minister saw Iranian-made drones that have been used to target and bomb Ukrainian civilians in recent months.
Mr Sunak also laid flowers for the war dead and lit a candle at a memorial to victims of the 1930 Holodomor famine, before meeting emergency workers at the fire station.
The Prime Minister said: “I am proud of how the UK has stood by Ukraine from the start. And I am here today to say that the UK and our allies will stand by Ukraine, as they Fighting to end barbaric war. Only peace.
“While Ukraine’s armed forces are pushing back Russian forces on the ground, civilians are being bombarded from the air. We are providing new air defenses today, including anti-aircraft guns, radar and anti-drone equipment. , and increasing humanitarian aid.” Ahead for a cold, harsh winter.
He added that it was “extremely humbling” to be in the Ukrainian capital and to meet people who are “paying such a high price to defend the principles of independence and democracy”.
