The Prime Minister will travel to Poland today [Tuesday 23 April] to announce a massive uplift in military support for Ukraine, including £500m in additional military funding and our largest-ever delivery of vital equipment.
He will meet Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to discuss deepening UK-Poland relations, and the leaders will hold talks with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Warsaw on European security and support to Ukraine. The Prime Minister will then travel on to Germany to meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin.
Ukraine is facing an existential threat as Russia continues its barbaric invasion, risking the security and stability of all of Europe.
The £500 million additional funding announced today – which takes us to £3 billion in UK military aid for Ukraine this financial year – will be used to rapidly deliver urgently-needed ammunition, air defence, drones and engineering support. The drones will be procured in the UK and the funds will support a scale-up in domestic defence supply chains.
The Ministry of Defence will also send our largest-ever single package of equipment from the UK, designed to help push back the Russian invasion on land, sea and air. It includes:
- 60 boats including offshore raiding craft, rigid raiding craft and dive boats as well as maritime guns
- More than 1,600 strike and air defence missiles, as well as additional Storm Shadow long-range precision-guided missiles.
- More than 400 vehicles, including 160 protected mobility ‘Husky’ vehicles, 162 armoured vehicles and 78 all-terrain vehicles.
- Nearly 4 million rounds of small arms ammunition.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Defending Ukraine against Russia’s brutal ambitions is vital for our security and for all of Europe. If Putin is allowed to succeed in this war of aggression, he will not stop at the Polish border.
“I am in Warsaw today to deepen ties with our Polish partners and commit critical new military support for Ukraine’s defence. Ukraine’s armed forces continue to fight bravely, but they need our support – and they need it now. Today’s package will help ensure Ukraine has what they need to take the fight to Russia.
“The United Kingdom will always play its part at the forefront of European security, defending our national interest and standing by our Nato allies.”
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: “This record package of military aid will give President Zelenskyy and his brave nation more of the kit they need to kick Putin out and restore peace and stability in Europe.
“The UK was the first to provide NLAW missiles, the first to give modern tanks and the first to send long-range missiles.
“Now, we are going even further. We will never let the world forget the existential battle Ukraine is fighting, and with our enduring support, they will win.”
In his first in-person meeting with new Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister will also seek to deepen UK-Poland ties across a range of issues.
Building on existing strong defence and security cooperation, he will offer to deploy an RAF Typhoon Squadron to carry out Nato Air Policing over Poland next year.
To further boost trade and support UK companies looking to invest in Poland, the Prime Minister will also announce today an intention to triple UK Export Finance funding available for Poland from £5 million to £15 million – our most generous offer to a partner country to date.
Bilateral trade between the UK and Poland has doubled in the last decade to reach £30.6bn, with 45 million bottles of Scotch whisky bought in Poland last year and UK firms bidding for £5bn worth of Polish opportunities across energy, defence, healthcare, and infrastructure.