British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly announced new aid to Ukraine, including ambulances and support for victims of sexual violence at the hands of Russian soldiers, during a visit to Kyiv on Friday.
After meeting President Volodymyr Zelensky, Cleverly tweeted: “President @ZelenskyyUa, Britain supports you with deeds – not just words.
“I made you this promise today. The UK intends to keep it,” he said after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak used a visit to the Ukrainian capital last weekend to unveil a new £50m ($60m) military aid package. .
Zelenskyi welcomed the visit of Britain’s senior diplomat just days after the recent Russian rocket fire against Ukraine’s energy grid, which led to widespread power outages.
“Your visit comes against the background of a large-scale Russian missile attack that has left all of Ukraine without electricity and water. But that didn’t stop you. Thank you very much,” Zelenskyj’s press service quoted him as saying.
The package announced by Cleverly includes 24 ambulances and six armored vehicles, according to the Federal Foreign Office.
He unveiled a further £3million to rebuild infrastructure such as schools and shelters, as well as additional funding to support “survivors of Russian military sexual violence,” the ministry added.
“As winter sets in, Russia continues to try to break Ukrainian resolve with its brutal attacks on civilians, hospitals and energy infrastructure,” Cleverly said.
“Russia will fail,” he said, vowing to continue British support “as long as necessary”.
The UK government said it is also providing £5million to a Ukraine-led initiative, channeled through the United Nations World Food Programme, to ship grain to countries most at risk of famine, including Sudan and Yemen.
“Global food security is in everyone’s interest,” said Environment Minister Therese Coffey.
“And supporting Ukrainian farmers and the agricultural sector to continue producing and exporting food in these most challenging circumstances is vital to that security,” she said.
During his visit, Sunak pledged 125 anti-aircraft guns and equipment to help Ukraine counter Iran-supplied drones, as well as cold-weather winter gear for its armed forces.
On Wednesday, Britain’s Ministry of Defense announced it was sending helicopters to Ukraine for the first time since the Russian invasion — three Sea Kings and another 10,000 artillery shells.
