British Foreign Secretary David Cameron was in Kyiv Thursday, where he promised £3bn of annual military aid for Ukraine for “as long as it takes”.
He added Ukraine had a right to use weapons provided by Britain to strike targets inside Russia, and that it was up to Kyiv whether to do so.
“Ukraine has that right. Just as Russia is striking inside Ukraine, you can quite understand why Ukraine feels the need to make sure it’s defending itself,” Cameron said.
The foreign secretary said continued support from Britain will have to come in the form of financial aid because it has “emptied all we can in terms of giving equipment” after the latest £500m military aid package – which included vehicles, boats, strike and air defence missiles.
“Some of that [equipment] is actually arriving in Ukraine today, while I’m here,” Cameron said.
In Kyiv – his second trip as foreign secretary – he met Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has thanked the UK for its continued support as Lord Cameron visited Kyiv.
The Ukrainian president said it is important that weapons included in the UK support package announced last week arrive as soon as possible.
Russian attacks have ramped up in the last few weeks as Ukraine waits for promised supplies not only from the UK but US and Germany – both of which have agreed to send in-demand Patriot systems.
“I am grateful to the government and people of the United Kingdom for their unflagging support for Ukraine,” he said.
