Britain’s new defence minister on Sunday pledged more artillery, ammunition and missiles to Ukraine and stressed London’s continued support for Kiev during a visit to the southern city of Odessa.
John Healey, appointed defence secretary by new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday, was on his first international trip to the port city, which is frequently the target of Russian missile and drone attacks.
“The government may change, but the UK stands united with Ukraine,” Haley said, according to a statement published by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The Defense Ministry said Haley promised a new package of aid that includes artillery, 250,000 rounds of ammunition, demining vehicles, small military boats, missiles and other equipment.
In Odessa he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Defence Minister Rustam Umarov.
“Our commitment to stand with the Ukrainian people is absolute.”
Defense Secretary on a visit to Odessa @JohnHealy_MP met the president @ZelenskyyUa Efforts will be made again by the new UK Government to reaffirm Britain’s firm commitment to Ukraine.
— Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) July 7, 2024
I met the newly appointed Defence Secretary of the United Kingdom. We discussed the implementation of the security agreement and the preparation of the future 100-year cooperation agreement between Ukraine and the UK.
Our defence cooperation enables the Ukrainian military… pic.twitter.com/IPo3Eqbdio
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 7, 2024
London has been one of Kiev’s most ardent supporters since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
Zelensky posted footage showing Haley laying flowers at a memorial to mark Ukraine’s Navy Day.
He said he had briefed Haley and Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans (who took office last week) on the situation in the combat zone.
In the capital Kyiv over the weekend, Dutch Foreign Minister Casper Veldkamp pledged to send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine “without delay”.
Britain’s Haley also said Britain’s major aid package announced in April “will be fully delivered to Ukraine within the next 100 days.”
Kiev regularly complains about delayed arrivals of Western military supplies, vital for its outnumbered and under-armed army fighting a Russian invasion.
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