 "A view shows the site of Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Dnipro, Ukraine, April 9, 2025. File Image/Reuters")
United Kingdom’s government on Thursday announced fresh aid for Ukraine worth $590 million (450 million pounds) to “pile pressure” on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war ahead of negotiations over a possible peace deal.
Britain will provide 350 million pounds of the amount from its 4.5-billion-pound military support package for Ukraine this year, with Norway contributing further funding, Britain’s ministry of defence said.
The announcement of the new aid deal was made as British Defence Minister John Healey chaired a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels along with his German counterpart Boris Pistorius.
The funding will cover costs of repairs and maintenance to vehicles and equipment, as well as radar systems, anti-tank mines and hundreds of thousands of drones.
Germany extends support package
Meanwhile, Germany also offered a support package worth €11 billion, and the country’s defence ministry said that it is committing to support Kyiv until 2029.
The package includes 4 Iris-T air defence systems, including 300 guided missiles, 300 reconnaissance drones, 120 ManPads, or Man Portable Air Defence System (shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles), 25 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, 15 Leopard 1A5 main battle tanks, 14 artillery systems, 100 ground surveillance radars and 30 Patriot guided missiles.
“Russia should be under no illusion, Ukraine is becoming stronger. We must and we will make sure of that,” German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said.
Trump envoy in Russia
US envoy Steve Witkoff was in Russia on Friday, the Kremlin said, his third visit to the country as Washington pushes for a ceasefire in Ukraine.
US leader Donald Trump is pressing Moscow and Kyiv to end the more than three-year-long conflict, but has expressed anger at both Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky over a lack of progress.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“Yes, I can confirm he flew into Russia,” state media reported Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying when asked about reports Witkoff had landed for talks with Putin.
With inputs from agencies